President Barack Obama recently called the current election cycle “vulgar,” suggesting that the tenor of the current presidential campaign is divisive and damaging to the reputation of the United States. It seems that many Americans agree.
In the 2016 State of the Bible: The Bible and Politics released recently, American Bible Society found that 51 percent of American adults surveyed think politics would be more civil if politicians read the Bible on a daily basis. In addition, 53 percent of those surveyed believe politicians would be more effective if they read the Bible on a regular basis.
The survey, commissioned by American Bible Society and conducted by Barna Group, shows that nearly half of Americans (46 percent) believe the Bible has too little influence in society, while those who think the Bible has too much influence have waned to just 19 percent; down 13 percent from the 2011 report. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of Americans surveyed—80 percent—view the Bible as sacred literature, a percentage unchanged from last year. And more Americans, 66 percent compared with 69 percent in 2015, also agree that the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life.
“Americans still believe the Bible has the power to improve the most uncertain or tumultuous of life’s challenges—even politics—when God’s Word is allowed to influence them. At American Bible Society, we see the transforming power of Scripture every day, from broken families being restored to men and women overcoming trauma to teens being released from addiction,” said Andrew Hood, director of communications of American Bible Society. “We have a 10-year goal of seeing 100 million people in the U.S. experience the transforming power of the Bible by engaging with it. Whether a politician or a preacher, a truck driver or a teacher, all can have their lives positively changed by God’s Word.”
The State of the Bible is an annual report from American Bible Society on behaviors and beliefs about the Bible among adults in the U.S. For more information about the latest State of the Bible, visit AmericanBible.org.
