Below are the results of a survey taken to determine whether Americans believe certain Bible stories.
Most American adults believe that the stories they read in the Bible can be taken as literal truth, not merely as stories told to communicate life principles, according to the latest Barna Update.
Three out of four adults (75%) said that they believe Jesus Christ was born to a virgin, Mary, as described in the gospel narratives.
Seven out of ten adults (69%) embraced the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana as being literally true.
Two out of three people (68%) view the Bible story of Jesus using five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand men, and then collecting 12 baskets of leftovers, as factually accurate.
Most Americans (64%) have no trouble believing that the planet-altering flood actually happened, in which Noah, his family and numerous animals were spared by building and then living on a giant boat for several months.
Fifty-six percent of adults believe that the story of the devil, disguised as a serpent and tempting Eve to sin by eating the forbidden fruit, is literally true.
Only half of the population (49%) accepts the story of Samson, one of the judges of ancient Israel, losing his legendary strength when Delilah seduced him into revealing that his hair was the source of that strength and that he lost his strength when she has his hair cut.
For the complete survey, visit www.barna.org
From The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing, 12/20/07. Copyright © 2007, Focus on the Family
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