This Fall the big news in American religion has been the results of the Pew Forum’s “Religious Knowledge Quiz” posted on their website. The quiz asks basic questions about various religions, including two dealing with religious freedom in the public schools. According to the Pew itself, more blogs (and perhaps columns like this one) have been written in response to their quiz than to any other religious topic since September. Why? Because of the surprising, and somewhat embarrassing, results of the quiz so far.
Bob WeathersThe groups scoring the best on the quiz have been atheists and agnostics. Evangelical Protestants fall roughly in the middle, but not at the top, except on questions specifically about the Bible. So let’s get this straight: Overall, the American demographic most knowledgeable about religion are the people who don’t believe in God? Seems that way.
Why? Shouldn’t us folk, the Baptists, the people of the Book, take down our competitors in any contest of religious and biblical knowledge? And, of all people, why do unbelievers know more than theists about other theists?
The answer, again, is somewhat embarrassing – for us. According to Alan Cooperman, associate director for research at the Pew Forum, American atheists and agnostics tend to be people raised in a religious tradition who studied the faith deeply and chose to abandon it. “These are people who thought a lot about religion,” he said. “They’re not indifferent. They care about it.” Furthermore, they are used to being asked the reasons for their lack of faith and are prepared to defend their unbelief.
Let that sink in. They know what they don’t believe better than we know what we believe.
Research continually shows that evangelical Christians are unprepared to defend what they believe. But we no longer live in a nation for which biblical knowledge is a fundamental value and that a biblical world view dominates. More than ever, our minds should be prepared for action and we should be ready at all times to give a reason for the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 1:13, 4:15).
And the best way to develop a solid biblical worldview is through practice. Saturate yourself in the truths of Scripture and engage the unbelieving culture. That will really test what you know.