Poll: 1 of 3 Americans Say Bible Should be Taken Literally

By Audrey Barrick, Christian Post Reporter Friday, May 25, 2007

About one-third of American adults believe in the actual word of God and that it should be taken literally. And people who attend church more frequently are more likely to believe in the literal truth of the Bible, a Gallup Poll found.

According to the new survey, 54 percent of Americans who attend church weekly believe the Bible should be taken literally word for word. The more seldom church attendees are less likely to hold that belief with only 30 percent of those who attend church monthly and 8 percent of those who never attend church believing in the actual word of God.

Church attendance is highest in the South, the poll also noted. Thus, Southerners are most likely to believe in a literal Bible. Those least likely to hold that belief are Americans in the West (22 percent). Westerners are more likely to believe in the inspired word of God, but not literally so (50 percent).

A prime example of a denomination that can support the poll's results is the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant group in the nation. Their "Faith and Mission" statement states, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy."

Forty percent of Protestants believe in a literal Bible while 48 percent of believe in the inspired word of God. Among other Christians, 45 percent believe the word of God is to be taken literally and 46 percent say the Bible is the inspired word of God.

Catholics are most likely to believe in the inspired word of God with 61 percent holding that belief and only 21 percent believing in a literal Bible.

The survey further revealed that the higher level of education one gets, the less likely the individual is to believe that the Bible is the actual, literal word of God. Those with a high school education or less are most likely to believe in a literal Bible (42 percent) compared to 20 percent of college graduates and 11 percent of post graduates. Someone with a lower education level is also least likely to believe the Bible is the inspired word of God with 41 percent of Americans with a high school education or less holding that belief compared to 57 percent of post graduates.

The Gallup Poll did not find a highly significant relationship between age and belief in a literal Bible. Americans aged 18-29 years are just as likely to believe in a literal Bible (29 percent) as those aged 30-49 and slightly less than those aged 50-64. Among Americans aged 65 and over, 35 percent said they believe in the Bible is to be taken literally.

Overall, the most popular view Americans hold today is that the Bible is the inspired word of God with 47 percent claiming such a view while 19 percent believe the Bible is a book of ancient fables, legends, and history as recorded by man.

Survey results are based on aggregated data from surveys in May of 2005, 2006 and 2007, totaling a sample size of 3,010 adults, aged 18 and older.