In times of trouble, many people often wonder, “Oh, God. Where are you when I need you most?”
But with the nation facing drastic financial and social challenges in recent years, a new study ranking American support for the Holy Bible reveals an astounding 91 out of 96 U.S. cities – a whopping 95 percent – are not “Bible-minded.”
The study by the California-based Barna Group on behalf of the American Bible Society is based on 42,855 nationwide interviews, and defines “Bible-minded” people as individuals who typically read the Bible each week and who strongly assert Scripture is accurate in the principles it teaches.
Authors of the report say the definition captures action and attitude – those who both engage and esteem the Christian Scriptures, reflecting an overall openness or resistance to the Bible in the country’s largest markets....
Reading the scriptures with a heart of belief only makes one more radical in the eyes of the unbelievers and even other believers, and is quick to be labeled mentally ill.
Just recently I wrote a letter to the senior pastor of a local relig-ious assembly [aka, superintendent of a local school] and have been accused of being mentally ill, mostly for the greeting alone I am told, which went like so:
"Greetings in the name of the Judge of the quick and the dead, the blessed and only Potentate, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, Jesus Christ."
And that folks, makes John Beechy a dangerous, insane man and father!
[Ok, I have learned that the 2 words together, religious plus assembly is not allowed. Pardon my shorthand slang, but WTH?]
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labor.
And in order to implement it for all 7 billion people on the planet we will now need a world government to collectivize the land and redistribute it to those poor people stuck in cities and unable to feed themselves. A sure recipe for success!
Be careful what you wish for.
jpw wrote: they still think state and collectivism is going to save them?? 47 million on food stamps! with some land, and trust in God's Provision and some simple teaching, they could feed themselves. when the aid quits pouring out (Americans are basically dependent and on aid now, like a third world country, while raw milk farmers get swat teamed), maybe more questions will be asked. yet, I do meet many who are seeking to know God in some way.... Jesus said the harvest is ripe. my guess would be that many still seek -- with high immigration and mobility, this country has great opportunities for evangelism, even if huge corps don't want bibles in their hotel rooms. (mom and pop places, on the other hand, probably would).
they still think state and collectivism is going to save them?? 47 million on food stamps! with some land, and trust in God's Provision and some simple teaching, they could feed themselves. when the aid quits pouring out (Americans are basically dependent and on aid now, like a third world country, while raw milk farmers get swat teamed), maybe more questions will be asked. yet, I do meet many who are seeking to know God in some way.... Jesus said the harvest is ripe. my guess would be that many still seek -- with high immigration and mobility, this country has great opportunities for evangelism, even if huge corps don't want bibles in their hotel rooms. (mom and pop places, on the other hand, probably would).
Kevin, I was thinking about your post and wondered; maybe, just maybe, somebody took it and housekeeping missed replacing it. Next time I'm in a hotel, I'll take a look ti see if there is a Gideon.
I tend to find Barna numbers overly optimistic. Having lived in NYC, Philly, and now the LA area, I can't see any of these cities has close to 1/4 or more of their populations being "bible-minded."
"The least Bible-oriented markets tend to be from the Northeast, especially the New England area."
"The lowest score came from Providence, R.I. at just 9 percent. Ironically, the city’s name actually refers to God’s divine providence. Albany, N.Y., is next from the bottom at 10 percent."
Yes, but we New Yorkers have hypocrite Andrew Cuomo in Albany as governor. You know, the one who just got more inane gun laws into effect, (because we have to save our children,) and a few days later, said abortion should be available throughout the entire 9 months of pregnancy. What a guy.
Interesting quote from article; "As a Baptist pastor in the South, I will acknowledge that many people have a shallow affinity for the Bible but have not had a life-changing experience (born again) with Jesus Christ. The South is going the way of the North as we continue to slip into a godless country. There was a day when the northern brethren of the faith believed the Bible, too. Gone are the days of ‘In God We Trust.’”
The fact is today that western nations including the US are becoming less and less influenced by the Bible. But why should God bless nations who murder babies in the womb and encourage people to ditch the Bible and legalize the abomination and other sins including desecrating marriage. "Signs of the times?" The most evil example of sin in action is the politics of western nations and these represent our government and chosen/elected leadership.
"The least Bible-oriented markets tend to be from the Northeast, especially the New England area... The lowest score came from Providence, R.I. at just 9 percent. Ironically, the city’s name actually refers to God’s divine providence."
I live in Providence. RI and MA happen to have the most dense population of Roman Catholics.
The article served as a good reminder of how people only seem to call upon God when something goes horribly wrong or when they need a personal favor. When life is rolling along fine, however, it's, "God who?"
COMMENTS | 
john uk from wales: "
dorcas
just had to give my 2 cents when i read the posts..."
