Those ruler-wielding nuns and the grape juice and cookies at vacation Bible schools didn't do a good job.
Nonbelievers know more about religion than Christians do, according to a Pew survey released Tuesday. The poll shows, among other things, that half of American Christians don't know the authors of the four Gospels and almost half of Catholics (45 percent) don't understand the significance of Holy Communion.
"Large numbers of Americans are uninformed about the tenets, practices, history and leading figures of major faith traditions — including their own. Many people also think the constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools are stricter than they really are," the report says....
San Jose John wrote: Also, it's probably easier overall to grasp and articulate that which you hate and don't believe in than it is to defend and be zealous about what you say you believe in.
One could ask, should man's practices or ceremonies be that which defines Christianity? If so, then Christianity might rightly be called a religion. But if the Way is about God lowering himself to reach man, it doesn't seem improper to leave the term "religion" to those whose practices and ceremonies are for the purposes of reaching God.
This Survey On Nonbelievers Knowing More About Religion Than Average "Believers" Proves My Point In Another Sermonaudio News-Thread Entitled "OBAMA, 'I'M A CHRISTIAN BY CHOICE' " !
In That Thread I Mentioned That OBAMA Is No More A Genuine, True & Real Christian Than ADOLF HITLER Was A Genuine, True & Real Christian.
I Also Said That According To JESSE JACKSON SR.'S Nephew, Whose Last Name I Believe To Be "BEASLEY" & Mother Is JACKSON SR.'S Sister, That "BEASLEY" Said OBAMA'S "Appearance" As An Evangelical-Conservative Black Protestant Christian Was A "Deal Cut" Between OBAMA & JACKSON SR. (Who's A 33rd DEGREE MASON Who Recruited OBAMA Into THE MASONS)
This "Cut Deal" ALL Being Done For The Purpose Of Diverting Attention From The Scandal Created By OBAMA'S Former Pastor: The "REV." WRIGHT & ALSO Serving The Purpose Of "Solidifying/Unifying" The Black-"Conservative"-Evangelical-Protestant VOTE With The Black-"Liberal"-Civil-Rights-Era Protestant VOTE !
"BEASLEY" Also Revealed That OBAMA & JACKSON SR. "Used" That South-Chicago Black Apostolic Pentecostal Church, So That OBAMA Could "Appear" As A True, Genuine & "Soulful" Black-Evangelical-Protestant-Fundamentalist Christian.
*He Said It Was ALL A Put-On For Show & OBAMA IS NOT A REAL CHRISTIAN LIKE REV. JAMES MEEKS !
That is a quibble. Why are many Christians allergic to the word "religion," since it is used in a positive sense in James 1:27, translated from the Gk. for "practices" or "ceremonies," apposite for the context. I think pastors & evangelists are responsible for this, since they use it as code for Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, etc., but don't want to be too explicit.
Now there is an entertaining TF recording of Gordon Clark trying to define "religion" in a philosophically precise, categorical sense, & he concludes that the exercise is hopelessly circular.
"Nonbelievers know more about religion than Christians do, according to a Pew survey released Tuesday.
So? Aren't most religionists nonbelievers? Seems natural they would know more about religion than Christians do. The question is, do they know more about Christ than Christians do? I doubt it.
What I Personally Found Most Interesting About This Survey Was 45% Of ROMAN CATHOLICS Interviewed Said They Believed The "Mass" To Be Symbolic & NOT Literal--That Is, The wafer & wine NOT Being The Literal BODY & BLOOD Of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST According To The Doctrine (Of Devils) Of "Transubstantiation" !
I See This As HOPE For THE OVER 1 BILLION Souls Who Are Spiritual, Psychological & Physical SLAVES To The Sinister, Diabolical & EVIL VATICAN !
Being Raised A ROMAN CATHOLIC Myself, I Have To TOTALLY AGREE With This 45% Figure.
When I Was A Young Teenager, I Would Dispute With My Lutheran & Protestant Classmates, Saying Although I Believed The "Host" & "Wine" Was The "Body" & "Blood" Of CHRIST; I Never REALLY & TRUELY Believed Them To Be ACTUAL, REAL, TRUE & GENUINE HUMAN PHYSICAL BLOOD & HUMAN PHYSICAL FLESH: That Would Be OCCULTIC & SATANIC CANNABALISM If One Would ACTUALLY DRINK HUMAN BLOOD & EAT HUMAN FLESH !
AND, Although 45% Of ROMAN CATHOLICS "SAID" That They Believed The "Mass" To Be Symbolic Or Figurative; I Personally Believe Over 85%, And It's Safe To Say 90%, REALLY PERSONALLY & PRIVATELY Believe The "Host" & "Wine" Are SYMBOLIC & FIGURATIVE Of The LITERAL "BODY" & "BLOOD" Of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST !
**10% Professing ROMAN CATHOLICS Believe Otherwise !
Most of the excuses that I here is "I'm not a reader". If you don't read the bible then you have to depend on man's view of what is in it. That can set people up for failure and deception. Quick question: Has anyone here read R.A. Torrey's book on the holy spirit? I'm reading it now. Just curious.
Most of the "non-believers" I know were raised in religious households and were exposed to much religeous information when they attended church/synagogue as kids.
Back when he thought he was a Christian, my own brother learned and taught himself many things about the Bible and Christianity before he became apostate in his early 20s.
Also, it's probably easier overall to grasp and articulate that which you hate and don't believe in than it is to defend and be zealous about what you say you believe in.
"Nonbelievers know more about religion than Christians do, according to a Pew survey released Tuesday. The poll shows, among other things, that half of American Christians don't know the authors of the four Gospels and almost half of Catholics (45 percent) don't understand the significance of Holy Communion."
By their very nature, visible churches must create and maintain dependence to ensure their survival and perpetuation. This places a fallible teacher between the only infallible Teacher and those who profess to be His people. It's no wonder few know the God breathed words of the bible for they are spoon fed what a preacher thinks they need to know.... "and my people love to have it so".
Jer 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
God is longsuffering but He will not be mocked and usurped indefinately.
No surprises here. I recall when teaching at church midweek sessions that only about 3/4 per cent would turn up for these sessions. And of these it was somewhat difficult to get all involved in the responses to questions and Bible doctrine. Many folks go to church but hardly read the Bible and relatively few go further and read text books, classics, etc on doctrine.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 4/6/2009
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