Two Out of Three Americans Literally Believe In Fairy Tales
by: Rev. DanAccording to the Barna Group:
Americans may be skeptical about the claims of politicians, but they remain confident that some of the most amazing stories in the Bible can be taken at face value. A new nationwide survey conducted by The Barna Group shows that six well-known Bible stories are accepted as literal truth by an average of two out of three adults.
Survey respondents were asked if they thought a specific story in the Bible was “literally true, meaning it happened exactly as described in the Bible” or whether they thought the story was “meant to illustrate a principle but is not to be taken literally.” Six renowned Bible stories were then offered to adults for their consideration.
Surprisingly, the most significant Bible story of all - “the story of Jesus Christ rising from the dead, after being crucified and buried” - was also the most widely embraced. Three out of four adults (75%) said they interpreted that narrative literally, while only one out of five (19%) said they did not take that story literally. The more highly educated respondents were, the less likely they were to take the story literally, although even two-thirds of college graduates (68%) believe the resurrection narrative is literally true. One of the most substantial differences of opinion occurred between mainline Protestants (83% of whom take the resurrection literally) and non-mainline Protestants (among whom 95% accept the resurrection as fact). Overall, 82% of Catholics embrace the resurrection narrative as being true. Black adults were much more likely than either whites (74%) or Hispanics (80%) to consider the resurrection to be true.
(h/t J-Walk)
Oh, how I wish the wurvey had been more extensive. Here are some issues I’d like to get that sample group’s opinions about.
Which explanation is closer to your understanding of how planes are held aloft in flight?
1 - Bad faerie breath pushes upward on the underside of the wings because faeries brush their teeth in heaven.
2 - Deus vult: God wills the plane to fly, so better hope your pilot’s the right kind of Christian!
[OK - I was gonna do a whole string of these, but if there is a point, you probably get it by now, and anyway I’m supposed to be at work.]
Those are great! :)
3 - Magic: David Copperfield has strung fishing line across the world which is tethered to satellites at strategic points, and that’s what holds the planes up.
4 - Wiccan Magick: We willed the plane to be in the sky, and as it hurt none, it was done.
5 - Conspiracy Theory: Planes don’t actually fly through the sky, that’s just an elaborate hoax perpetrated by Power Elites to keep us placid and malleable.