Bob Unruh – July 6, 2022
Mainline American churches long have been in decline. And there have been a number of actual civil wars among congregations and divisions that have resulted – often over social issues facing the nation such as the LGBT agenda.
Now the reasons, or results as you choose, are being seen: Only 20% of Americans see the Bible as the actual Word of God. A full 29% call it “fables” and “legends.”
The biggest portion, 49%, say it is “inspired” by God but it is NOT to be taken literally.
The results of the Gallup polling say the 20% who believe the Bible actually is God’s Word is at a record low.
That’s down from 24% the last time the question was asked, in 2017, and about half what it was in 1980 and 1984.
This year marks when those claiming it’s “fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man,” at 29%, is the “first time significantly more Americans have viewed the Bible as not divinely inspired than as the literal word of God.”
“Interpretation of the Bible, the holy Scripture of the Christian religion, has varied widely across time and across religious traditions. Gallup has been asking Americans specifically about their views on a literal interpretation of the Bible since 1976, with the latest update coming in Gallup’s May Values and Beliefs survey,” the pollster reported.