Nearly 90 percent of American homes have a Bible, but it turns out not everyone is routinely cracking the holy scriptures open.
According to a newly released LifeWay Research poll, 11 percent of Americans said they have read the Bible in its entirety once, with 9 percent saying that they have done so multiple times.
Additionally, 12 percent said they have read almost the entire book and 15 percent have read at least half. Overall, that means 47 percent have read a substantial portion of the Christian scriptures, with 53 percent admitting they’ve consumed “very little” of it.
Evangelicals stand out when it comes to daily reading of the Bible, with 49 percent saying they’re more likely to read a bit of the scriptures each day compared to just 16 percent of those individuals who do not hold evangelical views.
Protestants more generally come in at 36 percent, with just 17 percent of Catholics saying the same.
One of the other interesting metrics came when LifeWay asked respondents for their views on the Bible, with many expressing positive sentiments. More than half of Americans — 52 percent — said the Bible is a good source for morality, 37 percent called it “helpful today,” 35 percent said it is “life-changing” and 36 percent agreed that it is “true.”
On the flip side, 14 percent called the book “outdated,” 7 percent said it is harmful and 8 percent said the Bible is bigoted.
In the end, despite high marks and views of applicability in the modern era, many people simply don’t read regularly the scriptures due to a failure to prioritize, packed schedules and other setbacks.
“Scripture describes itself as ‘living and effective,’ according to the book of Hebrews,” LifeWay Research executive director Scott McConnell said in a statement. “Those who have a habit of reading through the Bible a little each day say they have experienced this helpful, life-changing quality. Those who approach the book differently tend to say the Bible is positive but much less personal.”
Read more about the research here.
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