Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN
Who knows more about religion - the arch-atheist Christopher Hitchens or Islam basher Rev. Franklin Graham? Most likely the unbeliever, according to a U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey released today by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
In this, the first major study of religious literacy among American adults, Americans as a whole flunked, answering correctly 16 of 32 questions about Christianity, the Bible and the world's religions - for an embarrassing score of only 50 percent.
Atheists and agnostics, however, got 21 right, better than both Jews and Mormons, who rounded out the top three groups of scorers. Although this result (67 percent right, or a D by my calculations) was nothing to write home about, it was 5 correct questions above the national average.
If nonbelievers were the thoroughbreds in this race for religious knowledge, Roman Catholics, with fewer than 15 right answers on average, were the mules. In results that will surely prove to be a thorn in the side of Catholic educators, fewer than half (42 percent) of the Catholics surveyed were able to name Genesis as the first book in the Bible. Ouch!
Still, the big story here will likely be that those who think religion is a con know more about it than those who think it is God's gift to humanity.
As the author of the 2007 book "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know–and Doesn't" and as an adviser to this Pew study, I wasn't surprised by these results. I do hope, however, that this dismal data will serve as a spur to action.
In "Religious Literacy," I described our collective religious ignorance as a civic problem of the first order. How to hold politicians who pin their public policies to the Bible without knowing something about that text? And how to make sense of religious conflict in the Middle East without knowing something about Judaism, Christianity and Islam?
Believers and nonbelievers obviously disagree on the virtues and vices of religion. But all careful observers of the world should be able to agree on this: From time immemorial, and for better or for worse, human beings have been motivated to act politically, economically and militarily by their gods, scriptures and priests. Without making sense of those motivations, we cannot make sense of the world.
It is time to address our national epidemic of religious illiteracy. I have called in the past for mandatory public school courses on the Bible and the world's religions to remedy this problem. The time for such courses is now.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Stephen Prothero.
I SAY YOUR OPINION IS NUTZ.i mean lets look at it for one second here.What is the exact cause right now opf EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM ON THIS EARTH?HMMMMMM...COULD IT BE....RELIGION?Religion celebrates our DIFFERENCES and wgat this world needs is for all of us to start celbrating our SIMILARITIES.IF KIDS NEED TO BE TAUGHT SOMETHING IT IS THAT ALL RELIGIONS ARE DIVISIVE AND THE WORLD WOULD BE A MUCH MUCH BETTER PLACE WITHOUT ALL OF THEM.PERIOD !
Someone went straight to typing without reading the article. If you're not going to read his stuff, we won't read yours.
true dat
All these anti-religion posts, the 20th century was the bloodiest in human history as atheism became more prevalent. Cause and effect relationship? Maybe, but im certain religion wasn't the main cause of that bloodshed. Face it people, religion doesn't kill people, people kill people.
And i love the liberal mindset "lets all just get along"... Sorry, that collectivist philosophy has never worked and will never work, and it's not because of religion... I'm not about to "coexist" with people that try to kill me, sorry.
As an atheist, I will say that religion is not the problem, our anthropocentrism is. Religion was a great tool for early man to hold respect for the life around them as well as work more cohesively as a tribal unit. The religions you speak of are but a small slice of the thousands of religions that have existed throughout history and "prehistory." That is, the current world-dominating religions are awful because they rationalize the consumption and the destruction of our environment and the divisiveness of our social structures.
You have no idea how stupid your comment looks beneath this article you moron.
Anthropocentrism? But isn't that what it's all about– man? No one can argue that man is the height of creation; religion, or at least Christianity. makes it clear that man is to subdue creation while at the same time taking care of it in the role of a steward. And I think atheism is the more distructive doctrine anyway– Dostoevsky had the right ideas about the implications of atheism– if there is no God, anything is permissible. Nietzsche had similiar ideas.
@hello213456
Kant also went through a similar line of reasoning in the prolegomena and the larger work that is summarized there. However, if you're going to take it all philosophical, most philosophers will also tell you that if there is a god we can't really understand anything about it with our limited abilities in perception. Impossible to prove either way and so philosophers have all but given up on that topic. It is widely accepted, however, that if all the world is ruled by physical laws it would imply no free will and thus people cannot be held responsible for their actions. So yes its important to believe in at least the possibility of something metaphysical. Calling Atheism more destructive than other religions... hard to say what the long term implications will be, seems like people try to get away with whatever they can so maybe you're right. And really they have their heads up their own behinds as far as any Christian. Who is ANYONE to say they KNOW? Especially somebody siting Nietzsche...
hello213456 says "the 20th century was the bloodiest in human history as atheism became more prevalent."
That's like saying that since governments banned the sale of cocaine and herion in the 20th century, that people not doig drugs is responsible for the wars/deaths.
Maybe increased populations, planes that can drop 20,000 pounds of bombs and guns that fire 600 rounds per minute made killing a little more efficient???
Also, post-1945, due to the atomic threat, we've enjoyed one of the most peaceful periods in modern history.
@hello213456
I am in basic agreement with some of the other poster's here that are not in alignment with your assertions.
I know an awful lot of really nasty christians. Just goes to show you that just because you may believe in a something, that does not in any way mean you will be a good person.
Quite the contrary..... I know a lot of good, kind and loving atheist's that live honorable lives of love and service.
So... I suggest maybe getting past your religious 'biases'...
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