[lbo-talk] 1/3 of Americans believe Bible is literally true

[ravi]

On 25 May, 2007, at 2:40 PM, Doug Henwood wrote:
> <http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=27682>
>
> PRINCETON, NJ -- About one-third of the American adult population
> believes the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken
> literally word for word.


I think this sort of thing reflects more than anything else the  
[necessarily] narrow 'excluded middle' approach of those collecting  
and analysing data. People 'believe' in all sorts of things that  
might lead to contradictions, because there is (to them) close to  
zero cost in believing in them, and because they are not as vested in  
proof and consistency. You could think of it as the old Pascal  
argument (might as well "believe" in god).

The inverse correlation between education (by which I am sure is  
implied formal education) and bible belief is explained naturally by  
the above, considering the fact that it is during the process of  
formal education that the criteria of consistency, proof etc in  
belief formation are emphasised, over other things.

	--ravi