Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 13, 1995 TAG: 9507060011
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BERNICE KANNER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The survey, commissioned by the New York-based American Bible Society, found that those who read the Bible regularly reported a higher level of satisfaction with life than those who don't read it.
However, 72 percent of Americans wish the language of the Good Book were more understandable, the survey found.
The president of the Bible society, Eugene B. Habecker, says Americans are deeply spiritual people for whom the Bible is very important, but he didn't realize how great was the demand for an easier-to-read version written in contemporary language.
Asked about their families, friends and spiritual lives, 71 percent of Americans surveyed by New York-based KRC Research & Consulting Inc. said they were ``very satisfied'' with their families.
Slightly less (67 percent) felt that way about their friends.
Not quite as many (55 percent) were ``very satisfied'' with their spiritual lives.
What's important in life? When given eight choices, the top picks of those surveyed were religion (37 percent), morality (35 percent) and spiritual well-being (28 percent).
At the bottom were professional achievement (12 percent) and the ability to afford a few luxuries (7 percent).
Asked about weekly activities, more than half of those surveyed (55 percent) said they attended church at least once a week. Going out for dinner was almost as popular (53 percent).
Other activities paled on a weekly basis.
Only a fourth of those surveyed said they read a novel each week (27 percent). Eleven percent said they participated in competitive sports, and 9 percent said they went to the movies.
What sums up life today? A vast majority (85 percent) of Americans surveyed said the Golden Rule (``Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'') defined life today.
However, some of those same Americans were among the 26 percent who felt that the saying ``Look out for No. 1'' defined our age.
There's no question the Bible remains popular.
Twenty-four percent of Americans surveyed said they read the Bible daily. And 59 percent said they read it at least once a month.
Nearly everyone surveyed (92 percent) owns a copy of the Bible, and more than a quarter (27 percent) have more than four copies.
One-half bought the Bible for themselves, while half received a copy as a gift.
Generation Xers, non-Christians and the nonreligious were the least likely to own a Bible.
More than half of the Americans surveyed (53 percent) said they were somewhat familiar with the Bible, with women considerably more so than men (78 percent vs. 62 percent).
African Americans (63 percent) read the Bible more than Hispanics (48 percent) or whites (45 percent).
Older Americans are more likely to read the Bible than baby boomers, who in turn are more likely to read it than Xers.
Fifty-four percent of those age 50 and up said they read the Bible at least once a week.
That compares with 42 percent of Americans 30 to 49 and with 36 percent of those 21 to 29.
But there's a gulf between the ideal and reality.
Although 92 percent of Americans agreed that the Bible is a good source of moral teaching and guidance, only 59 percent said they actually turned to it for advice.
Bernice Kanner, who writes from New York on advertising and marketing, is author of a forthcoming book, ``Are You Normal?''
Knight-Ridder/Tribune
by CNB