NOT In Decline? - What Is The Truth?

Americans Who Believe the Bible Is the Literal Word of God Are Not in Decline, Says Expert  Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor.

Contrary to a recent Gallup poll, another survey shows that the percentage of Americans who believe the Bible is the literal word of God has remained remarkably stable over the past several decades.

Ryan Burge, professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, recently examined the data from a General Social Survey looking into how Americans viewed the Bible.

Bible study. | (Photo: Pixabay)

The three answers a respondent could choose from were that the Bible was the literal word of God, inspired by God but not literally true, or a book of myths simply written by men.

Burge noted in a piece posted online by the Religion in Public blog last Friday that contrary to a recent Gallup Poll, "the number of Americans who believe that the Bible is literally true has stayed remarkably steady since the mid-1990's."

Burge found that on the issue of biblical inerrancy, like many other issues, those in the conservative camp remained stable while moderates moved to the liberal position. 

Burge went to examine and found that while the number of those who support the literalist view are fairly stable and the number of those who support the fables view is growing, the moderate view of inspired but not literal is shrinking. CP.