Fewer Americans believe the Bible is the “literal word of God”

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Creeping rationality creeps along. Give it another couple of decades? No wonder the American Christian Right is worried.

From -- fewer Americans believe the Bible is the “literal word of God” now than they’ve ever recorded, 20 percent. A record high of 29 percent say it’s a book of fables.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/394262/fewer-bible-literal-word-god.aspx

Lots of stats and some intelligent analysis.

Americans' interpretations of the Bible are important, because the Bible is often used as the basis for policy positions on moral and values issues, including such things as abortion and gay and lesbian relations. Some more conservative Protestant groups use a literal interpretation of passages from the New Testament as the basis for their belief that women should not be in positions of religious leadership in churches. Gallup's data show that the use of a literal interpretation of the Bible as the basis or justification for social policy positions will likely resonate only with a declining minority of the overall U.S. population.

 

[Leumas]

 

[GDon]

The article makes the point that some see the Bible as being the "literal Word of God", some as the "inspired Word of God" and finally that some see Bible being a collection of "fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man."

The first two have real political implications AFAICS, in that it encourages people to use the Bible for their own political agendas. So the problem isn't just those who take the Bible literally.