What do you know about religion?

A new survey of Americans’ knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.

Respondents to the survey were asked 32 questions with a range of difficulty, including whether they could name the Islamic holy book and the first book of the Bible, or say what century the Mormon religion was founded. On average, participants in the survey answered correctly overall for half of the survey questions. Atheists and agnostics scored highest, with an average of 21 correct answers, while Jews and Mormons followed with about 20 accurate responses. Protestants overall averaged 16 correct answers, while Catholics followed with a score of about 15.

To the world, members of churches of Christ would be included with “Protestants,” making us statistically near the bottom of religious knowledge. Atheists and agnostics actually scored better! Does that apply to you? We are commanded to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). It is shameful for someone who profess to be godly to not even have a basic knowledge of the Bible or what they believe. If we are going to be able to “rightly divide” the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), we will have to be diligent to learn it and remember it!

Kyle Campbell