American Bible Society's 13th annual "State of the Bible" report found that Americans who are hostile toward God's word still value biblical behavior.
Americans who believe the country would be better without the Bible actually score higher on valuing pro-social behaviors than those who think they would be "worse off" or "about the same" without Scripture, Faithwire reports.
"Our research shows that even those Americans who are most hostile toward the Bible value biblical behaviors like loving your neighbor, caring for creation, and welcoming the stranger," Dr. John Farquhar Plake, chief ministry insights officer at the American Bible Society, said in a statement.
"This shared passion for neighborly behavior is a new avenue for ministry leaders to start conversations about the values Americans share and their ultimate source in Jesus and his Word," he said.
Meanwhile, the "Moveable Middle," people who are identified as appreciating Christianity but not being active participants, were also found to be apathetic to biblical values.
"This group is more likely to consider the biblical behaviors surveyed — including welcoming immigrants, befriending people of other races or religions, or advocating for the oppressed — as only 'somewhat' important," the press release explains. "In contrast, both Scripture-engaged Americans and Americans who do not engage with Scripture are more likely to count these behaviors as 'important' or 'very important.'"
The survey included respondents from more than 2,700 people.
Other parts of the survey found:
- Scripture engagement has fallen to just 19 percent of American adults.
- One-third of non-Bible users said they were "exremely" or "very" curious about the Bible.
- A quarter of Bible users said one of their greatest frustrations with reading Scripture was that they "never seem to have enough time."
- Nearly half of American adults agree that the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Red Goldwing
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
