75% in Arkansas, Alabama believe Bible literally true

Sat Aug 26, 3:01 PM ET

Not surprisingly, the Bible Belt region lives up to its name with states like Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and West Virginia containing the highest percentage of those who believe the Bible is literally true. Alabama and Arkansas came out on top as 75% say they believe the Bible is literally true. West Virginia (70%) and Tennessee (68%) are close behind.


The northeast region of our map represents the other extreme. In Vermont and Massachusetts, only 22% of those respondents believe the Bible is literally true—the lowest percentages in all states surveyed.

Earlier this summer, a national survey found that 54% of American adults believe the Bible is literally true.

In Arkansas, the question proves to be one of the rare ones that doesn't cause divisions along party lines; 83% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats say the believe in the Bible's literal truth. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of women and 69% of men identify themselves as true believers.

In Alabama, Democrats and Republicans both share high levels of belief on the authenticity and literal truth of the Bible. Women again outnumber men, though by a smaller percentage, 79% to 72%. The states differ, though, when the question is dissected by respondents' ages. Percentages of those agreeing with the Bible's authenticity are in the high 70's across all age demographics for Alabama. In Arkansas, however, percentages are actually higher for younger voters. Eighty-one percent (81%) of those 18-29 and 83% of those 30-39 believe the Bible's literal truth and then the numbers drop off, hitting a low of 66% for voters ages 50-64.

In Vermont, 37% of GOP voters and only 14% of Democrats say they are believers. Along age lines, the highest percentage of believers are those ages 65 and older (36%.)

In Massachusetts, Republican believers again outnumber Democrats (39% to 17%) Surprisingly, among conservatives in the state, the percentage of those who believe the Bible is true (41%) is outweighed by the percentage who do not (44%.)

As expected, strong connections exist in most of the states surveyed between the percentage of those who answered affirmatively on the Bible question and their positions on abortion and same-sex marriage.

The national survey was of all adults. The state surveys consisted of Likely Voter samples. The results may not be directly comparable.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information. (link)

350,000 Embryo's Trashed

If it weren't for fertility clinics, there wouldn't be so many unwanted "embryos" that are simply tossed when they run out of room. Those embryos could be donated to science to possibly cure one of your children or grandchildren. The Anything But Religious Right prefers to defend the embryo's right to life but does nothing about their being put to the trash bin.

Watch this "human life" literally tossed in the garbage when it could have been used to save lives.

Hostile Takeover

Today, on Air America you can listen to the national radio show, State of Belief.

Whether you are a person of faith or not, it is important to understand why and be armed with information pertaining to the takeover of America's churches by right wing politics. It is through faux christianity that our democracy is at stake. Right wing think tanks came up with the plan for the take over. Three guests, Dr. Bruce Prescott, Dr. John Dorhauer and Dr. Andrew Weaver will discuss how this politically motivated takeover was achieved.

There is more on this at Talk To Action.
How to listen to this show on the web, on the radio or how to download mp3 podcasts to listen at a different time: Air America

I urge you to become more involved in this issue, learn as much as you can and be prepared to fight back against 'christianists' who claim to be real Christians. If we do nothing but complain about it, many many Americans will continue to support the fascist regime thinking they are voting with Christ.

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Please read "Religious Liberals Gain New Visibility" at the Washington Post for more on this issue.

"The wind is changing. Folks -- not just leaders -- are fed up with what is being portrayed as Christian values," said the Rev. Tim Ahrens, senior minister of First Congregational Church of Columbus, Ohio, and a founder of We Believe Ohio, a statewide clergy group established to ensure that the religious right is "not the only one holding a megaphone" in the public square.

You can also scroll down on this blog to Friday's post "Some Good News"

On May 22nd, Clergy for Fairness, a broad coalition of mainstream religious voices in America, will host clergy members and other religious leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C. to defend religious liberty and speak out against the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA).

Some Good News

from HRC email news.

National Coalition of Religious Leaders
Speak Out Against the Federal Marriage Amendment
Religious Leaders from Across the Country to Gather in Washington on May 22nd

WASHINGTON – On May 22nd, Clergy for Fairness, a broad coalition of mainstream religious voices in America, will host clergy members and other religious leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C. to defend religious liberty and speak out against the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA). The FMA is set for a vote in the U.S. Senate the week of June 5th.

Members of the clergy and other religious leaders from a wide spectrum of religious traditions will use May 22nd as a national day to announce a petition drive against the FMA and call on all like-minded faith leaders to speak out against the Senate’s impending vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Clergy members in Washington on that day will come from many faith traditions including United Methodists, Reform Judaism, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Unitarian Universalists, United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ and American Baptists.

These faith leaders are united behind a common principle that religious liberty must be preserved and that discrimination should not be written into our Constitution. At a time when our country is facing critical issues, the United States Senate should not be focused on undercutting the separation of church and state and treating an entire group of Americans differently. They believe that people of faith and goodwill can and do disagree about what constitutes marriage, but that this amendment would endorse one religiously biased view over all others and impose it on all Americans by constitutional fiat.

WHAT: Press Conference of National Religious Voices Against the Federal Marriage Amendment
WHEN: Monday, May 22nd at 11:00 a.m. (EST)
WHERE: United States Senate Dirksen 430

Ask Your OB/GYN for a Prescription Before You Need It.

Since pharmacists think that they know more than doctors and the religious fanatics refuse to consider science even though most of them rely on scientific and medical advances to keep their sorry lives livable, American gynecologists are fed up with all the political nonsense surrounding Plan B, Emergency Contraception, which as we know, is not an abortion pill.

Solution: Ask your ob/gyn for an advance prescription.

ABC NEWS -- "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists today announced its "Ask Me" campaign, which encourages patients to obtain an advance prescription from their ob/gyn."