Mrs.PatsFanInVa

If you want to know about God, you might want to talk to an atheist.

Heresy? Perhaps. But a survey that measured Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists and agnostics knew more, on average, than followers of most major faiths. In fact, the gaps in knowledge among some of the faithful may give new meaning to the term "blind faith."

A majority of Protestants, for instance, couldn't identify Martin Luther as the driving force behind the Protestant Reformation, according to the survey, released Tuesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Four in 10 Catholics misunderstood the meaning of their church's central ritual, incorrectly saying that the bread and wine used in Holy Communion are intended to merely symbolize the body and blood of Christ, not actually become them.

Atheists and agnostics — those who believe there is no God or who aren't sure — were more likely to answer the survey's questions correctly. Jews and Mormons ranked just below them in the survey's measurement of religious knowledge — so close as to be statistically tied.

So why would an atheist know more about religion than a Christian?

American atheists and agnostics tend to be people who grew up in a religious tradition and consciously gave it up, often after a great deal of reflection and study, said Alan Cooperman, associate director for research at the Pew Forum.

Atheists, agnostics most knowledgeable about religion, survey says - latimes.com

TBradyOwnsYou

Truthiness!

IcyPatriot

Catlicks were the bottom of the barrel ... what's up with that?

IcyPatriot

TBradyOwnsYou

3 I didn't know:
Indonesia, Jon Edwards, Maimonides.

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

I found it an interesting study (if "study" is the right word.) I also think I agree with their conclusion that athiests and agnostics spent some time and energy reading and researching various religions in an attempt to prove or disprove something to themselves, if to no one else.

It makes sense that people know the most about their own religion - but little about anyone else's. If they are really true believers, why bother? I'm sure they all assume that since they're right - everyone else is wrong.

Having been raised a Catholic in an Irish/Polish enclave on the South Side of Chicago, I didn't even KNOW there were other religions until I was in my teens.

The more I read and learned about various other religions,the more I realized they all preached basically the same things with only small variations for the most part. And very few of them actually practiced what they preached. (Just a personal generalized observation and I know several people who don't fall into this catagory.)

It seems to be a good study and it seems to show that there's a need for interfaith education. Maybe people of all faiths would respect one another more if they actually knew how much they have in common.

IcyPatriot

I have said a few times in the PoFo that there should be a course teaching the basic concepts of religions in public schools. I think it would go a long way in making people more aware and sensitive to all
people who are different from themselves.

they teach US history and world history and they should incorporate some religion history into both of those.

They proved this in the Middle East where they had a class of Muslim and Jewish kids who all came to the realization they were a bit different but mostly the same.

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

Yes, I agree.

I find different religions fascinating and I love learning about them. When my old boss's father died, MrP and I went to the wake. It was a Buddhist wake and, while I felt fairly out of place, not knowing the proper things to do, they talked us through it and it was a most beautiful concept and experience. Different kinds of incense sticks and ways of bowing and each meant something special.

There was also an experiment (if that's even the right word) some years back where they moved Palestinans and Jews into one neighborhood - next door to one another, and within weeks everyone was friends. It's very hard to hate your neighbor - you might need to borrow a cup of sugar someday, your kids play together, he works on cars, your battery's dead, etc., etc.

Knowing things is never a bad idea. And, like I mentioned earlier, most religions are not all that far apart. Every single religion I know of follows some version of the Golden Rule - if everyone would leave it at that we'd all be better off.

WhiteWesWelker88

Those who live on hope should expect starvation.




Organized Religion = BS

everlong

If you believe the bible and Qur'an are at least somewhat historically accurate then the Muslims and Jews and therefore Christians are actually all cousins originating from the sons of Abraham with the descendants of Isaac following the Jewish heritage and the sons of Ishmael the Islamic heritage.

Isaac or Ishmael

The versions of how things went down are predictably different in the bible and Qur'an but a lot of the details are the same.

__________________
"When Peyton Manning was a kid he used to go to bed at night and dream about throwing the winning touchdown for the Saints in the Superbowl. And on Sunday he did."

There's only two conclusions for Patriots fans on rookies. They are either a bust or being fitted for their bust in Canton.


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