One result from a Barna Group poll on biblical literalism:
The Bible opens with the description of God creating the universe in six days. That report is accepted as literally true by 60% of the adult population. This passage brought out major distinctions across people groups. For instance, while 73% of the adults who did not attend college believe this account to be literal, just half as many college graduates (38%) hold that view. About half of the residents of the Northeast (52%) and West (50%) hold a literal view of the creation account, compared to 62% of those in the Midwest and 72% of those in the South. Again, the Catholic-Protestant divide was sizeable: half of Catholics (52%) and three-fourths of Protestants(74%) have a literal interpretation of creation. More than four out of five blacks (83%) are literalists on this matter, versus 64% of Hispanics and 59% of whites.
Barna is hardly a disinterested source but ...
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
I believe that God wants "Adams and Eves",
But never "Adams and Dennises"
And when people get married, then nobody leaves--
Just like it says in Genesis.
I believe that dragons once roamed the Earth
True fire-breathing menaces;
And a fetus has rights, right up until birth--
Just like it says in Genesis.
I believe that global warming is wrong
Just look what a beauty Venice is;
And Bill O'Reilly is handsome and strong--
Just like it says in Genesis.
I admit that I haven't quite read the whole thing;
It's as boring as amateur tennis is.
But Bush is my President, Jesus my King--
Just like it says in Genesis.
(complete comment at...)
http://digitalcuttlefish.blogspot.com/2007/10/just-like-it-says-in-genesis.html
Posted by: Cuttlefish | October 23, 2007 10:01 PM
Happy Bishop Ussher day, indeed.
Posted by: Laelaps | October 23, 2007 10:56 PM
Off topic - congrats on your new photo at the top. You look kewl!
Posted by: Ian | October 24, 2007 7:35 AM
It kills me that people will say they believe the biblical account is true without actually knowing what the account says. I think these people live in a fantasy world of their own, where their bible is their own fantasy bible that says whatever they want it to say -- which goes a long way to explaining why they studiously avoid reading the bible.
They will also swear by the 10 commandments, but try asking them to name the 10. (Be sure to ask which set of 10 is the correct set, since different bibles give different sets.)
By the way, why are those 10 commandments THE 10 commandments? There are hundreds (the number when I quit counting) of commandments that seem to have slipped through the cracks.
Posted by: WTFWJD | October 24, 2007 8:15 AM
Posted by: Tulse | October 24, 2007 2:04 PM
Let's not forget, there aren't just ten Commandments: there are twenty. The first Ten Commandments are given to Moses in Chapter 20 of Exodus. But in Chapter 34 God gives Moses a second set of Commandments. Only two of them (the ones mentioning idols and the Sabbath) are similar; the rest are completely different. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk, for instance.
Posted by: Leon | October 24, 2007 4:03 PM
So where is the follow up question: Do you believe man was created before or after the animals? ie, is Genesis 1 inerrant or is Genesis 2 literally true?
Posted by: Sarcastro | October 24, 2007 4:57 PM