Left-Leaning Bible Readers

Aaron B. Franzen, a grad student in Baylor’s sociology department, reported some interesting survey findings in the October issue of Christianity Today. LifeWay says 89 percent of American households own a Bible, and the average home in the U. S. has 4.1 Bibles. So we have lots of access to the Bible. But while not everyone reads the good book, people who do tend to lean toward the left. A 2007 Baylor Religion Survey asked people to gauge on a five-point scale how often, if ever, they read the Bible. Possible options ranged from “never” to “several times weekly.” For each increased level of Bible-reading… . support for the Patriot Act decreased 13 percent. . support for abolishing the death penalty decreased by about 45 percent. . people were about 22% more likely to believe the Bible and science are compatible. . people were more likely to agree that it’s important to actively seek social and economic justice (i.e., “social justice”) to be a good person. . people were about twice as likely to say that reducing consumption is part of ethical living.