Laughing out loud in the USA

GordW

Posted on: 09/28/2010 11:42

Here is a link to a Pew Forum article on the survey (it has some more detail on the results)

http://www.pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowle...

retiredrev

Posted on: 09/28/2010 11:56

If you REALLY want to throw them, show them a map of the world and ask them to find Canada. Better yet, ask them for the CAPITAL of Canada (some smart alec would probably say 'Oh, about five bucks') There was an American quiz show once (early 70's) in which the contestant thought British Columbia was a country in South America. I almost wet myself.

chansen

Posted on: 09/28/2010 11:59

I had seen the results of that survey earlier today, but hadn't got around to posting a thread. Thanks. FWIW, here is the executive summary of the survey:

http://www.pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowle...

That atheists and agnostics score better (on average) on knowledge of religious beliefs is not exactly a surprise to many. Religions are not being rejected out of hand - they are being rejected for what they contain, and what they don't. From the executive summary:

Quote:

This survey and previous Pew Forum studies have shown that Jews and atheists/agnostics have high levels of educational attainment on average, which partially explains their performance on the religious knowledge survey. However, even after controlling for levels of education and other key demographic traits (race, age, gender and region), significant differences in religious knowledge persist among adherents of various faith traditions. Atheists/agnostics, Jews and Mormons still have the highest levels of religious knowledge, followed by evangelical Protestants, then those whose religion is nothing in particular, mainline Protestants and Catholics. Atheists/agnostics and Jews stand out for high levels of knowledge about world religions other than Christianity, though they also score at or above the national average on questions about the Bible and Christianity.

Overall, this study doesn't really tell us much. I think many of us would assume many people believe...because they believe. That is, they don't think about it much, and they don't really know why they believe, or even what it is they are supposed to believe. I don't think this is true of many people at WC, as few here show apathy toward religion, but it is clearly true for many of those who identify as Christian, and may or may not show up at church.

From my perspective, I think education is key, and that the more educated people are - in general and about religion - the less likely they are to believe. This survey does little to contradict that position.

blackbelt

Posted on: 09/28/2010 12:01

retiredrev wrote:

If you REALLY want to throw them, show them a map of the world and ask them to find Canada. Better yet, ask them for the CAPITAL of Canada

Toronto

waterfall

Posted on: 09/28/2010 12:22

I read about this earlier and wondered what the average age was. It just says 18 plus.

Greatest I am

Posted on: 09/28/2010 12:33

Have you seen this great example of a Christian spokesman joke?

.

GordW

Posted on: 09/28/2010 17:07

Here is a response that suggests a logical reaction for the churches to theses reslts:

http://www.seaburynext.org/news-releases-seabury-western-theological-sem...

Don't weep and wail, don't call for rote memorization of facts, rather make faith and religion relevant and important to people. Then they will want to learn it.

Saul_now_Paul

Posted on: 09/28/2010 17:46

blackbelt wrote:

retiredrev wrote:

If you REALLY want to throw them, show them a map of the world and ask them to find Canada. Better yet, ask them for the CAPITAL of Canada

Toronto

retiredrev

Posted on: 09/28/2010 19:10

Saul_now_Paul wrote:

blackbelt wrote:

retiredrev wrote:

If you REALLY want to throw them, show them a map of the world and ask them to find Canada. Better yet, ask them for the CAPITAL of Canada

Toronto

Thanks for posting this. I saw it when it first aired. I grew up close to the border and we used to see Americans coming across the border in July (from Detroit-Windsor crossing) with skis on the top of their cars. Some Americans stopped us and asked how far they had to go to find snow. My brother, a real joker, told them only 20 miles due north but watch out for polar bears. HIlarious.

graeme

Posted on: 09/28/2010 19:19

People of higher education do, indeed, tend to be agnostic or atheist. I lived and worked over forty years among such people. They also tended to arrogant, egoists, dismissive of others as less worthy and, mostly, useless.

Saul_now_Paul

Posted on: 09/28/2010 19:20

I'm sure Rick could make Canadians look the same.

InannaWhimsey

Posted on: 09/28/2010 19:51

graeme wrote:

People of higher education do, indeed, tend to be agnostic or atheist. I lived and worked over forty years among such people. They also tended to arrogant, egoists, dismissive of others as less worthy and, mostly, useless.

Don't you mean Whites?

chansen

Posted on: 09/28/2010 20:02

InannaWhimsey wrote:

graeme wrote:

People of higher education do, indeed, tend to be agnostic or atheist. I lived and worked over forty years among such people. They also tended to arrogant, egoists, dismissive of others as less worthy and, mostly, useless.

Don't you mean Whites?

Evangelicals? Cats? Waiters at fancy restaurants?