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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

400-408 – Sean Dunn, president and voice-behind the GroundWire (groundwire.net) commercials that play on secular radio and television channels presenting a Christ-centered hook to attract the unchurched.  Your one-time gift of $127.50 will reach 40,000 young people watching MTV, FX, VH1, Adult Swim, Comedy Central, or listening to STAR 98 Radio.  To help, call (877) 301-7414.  And, we have an anonymous donor who's offerred a $5,000 matching grant for today so your reach is doubled!  Furthermore, a one-time gift of $1,250.00 will buy a week's worth of 60 commercials that will air on all five channels!!  To become an online "coach" go to groundwire.net/coaching, and you can email Sean at Sdunn@groundwire.net.

(:30) Ground Wire 1, "Relationships fade."

(:30) Ground Wire 2, "Questions."

413-423 – Sean Dunn

428-437 – Sean Dunn

443-452 – Sean Dunn

458-508 – My Summary – Nearly all of this is predictable.  Blacks and Hispanics have less education than whites and the scores reflect this.  Protestants know the Bible better than Catholics.  Both White evangelicals and Black Protestants know the Bible better than White Mainliners.  However, Mormons know the Bible better than all of the groups, they even score better than Jews on the OT.  Atheists and agnostics must know something about what they are against, hence, they aren't apathetic or ignorant of God, they're just opposed to God being God.

•• 3,412 people were asked these 32 questions during May and June this year, MOE was ± 2.5%.

• Less than half of all Catholics, and less than a third of Hispanic Catholics, know Genesis is the first book of the Bible; only a third of all Catholics, and just 15% of Hispanic Catholics, can name the Four Gospels.

• Just 55% of all Catholics correctly know that their church teaches transubstantiation (40% of all those polled).

• Only 16% of all those polled knew Protestants teach salvation through faith alone, including just 16% of Christians.

• 46% of all those polled don't know the Koran is the holy book of Islam.

• 40% of all those polled couldn't name the Vice-President, and 28% didn't know what political party was in the majority of the House.

• 49% of all those polled couldn't name the Four Gospels (46% "didn't know" and 3 did not name any correctly)

• 77% of all those polled wrongly believe a public school teacher cannot read the Bible as literature in class (they can).

• 64% of all those polled wrongly believe a public school teacher cannot offer a class comparing world religions.

• Only 52% believe in human evolution (poorly worded question).

• Nearly a third of all those polled didn't know the dominant religion of Pakistan is Islam.

 

• PEW FORUM ON RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE 2010 RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE STUDY: Who Knows What About Religion.  [This is the short version of the questions.]

BIBLE

1. What is the first book of the Bible? (Open-ended)

2. What are the names of the first four books of the New Testament, that is, the four Gospels? (Open-ended)

3. Where, according to the Bible, was Jesus born?  Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth or Jericho?

4. Which of these is NOT in the Ten Commandments?  Do unto others…, no adultery, no stealing, keep Sabbath?

5. Which figure is associated with remaining obedient to God despite suffering?  Job, Elijah, Moses or Abraham?

6. Which figure is associated with leading the exodus from Egypt?  Moses, Job, Elijah or Abraham?

7. Which figure is associated with willingness to sacrifice his son for God?  Abraham, Job, Moses or Elijah?

 

CHRISTIANITY

8. Catholic teaching about bread & wine in Communion?  Actual body and blood, or symbols?

9. Which group traditionally teaches that salvation is through faith alone?  Protestants, Catholics, both or neither?

10. Was Mother Teresa Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or Mormon?

11. What is the name of the person whose writings and actions inspired the Reformation?  Luther, Aquinas, Wesley?

12. Who was a preacher during the First Great Awakening?  Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney or Billy Graham?

 

JUDAISM – 

13. When does the Jewish Sabbath begin? Friday, Saturday or Sunday?

14. Was Maimonides Jewish, Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu or Mormon?

 

MORMONISM

15. When was the Mormon religion founded?  After 1800, between 1200-1800, or before 1200 A.D.?

16. The Book of Mormon tells of Jesus appearing to people in what area? The Americas, Middle East or Asia?

17. Was Joseph Smith Mormon, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist or Hindu?

 

WORLD RELIGIONS

18. Is Ramadan: the Islamic holy month, Hindu festival of lights, or Jewish day of atonement?

19. Do you happen to know the name of the holy book of Islam? (Open-ended)

20. Which religion aims at nirvana, the state of being free from suffering? Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam?

21. Is the Dalai Lama Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Catholic or Mormon?

22. In which religion are Vishnu and Shiva central figures? Hinduism, Islam or Taoism?

23. What is the religion of most people in India? Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or Christian?

24. What is the religion of most people in Pakistan? Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Christian?

25. What is the religion of most people in Indonesia? Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Christian?

26. Who is the king of Gods in Greek mythology? Zeus, Mars or Apollo?

 

ATHEISM & AGNOSTICISM

27. Atheist someone who does NOT believe in God, believes in God, or is unsure?

28. Is an agnostic someone who is unsure whether God exists, does NOT believe in God, or believes in God?

 

RELIGION IN PUBLIC LIFE

29. Constitution says:  separation of church-state, emphasize Christianity, or nothing?

30. According to the Supreme Court, can a public school teacher lead a class in prayer?

31. According to the Supreme Court, can a public school teacher read from the Bible as an example of literature?

32. According to the Supreme Court, can a public school teacher offer a class comparing the world's religions?

• PEW FORUM ON RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE 2010 RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE STUDY:  TOPLINE SURVEY RESULTS (pdf). [This is the long version of the questions.]

• AP (9/28/2010) Survey: Many Americans Know Little About Religion.

• Mitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles Times (9/28/2010) Atheists, agnostics most knowledgeable about religion, survey says.  Report says nonbelievers know more, on average, about religion than most faithful. Jews and Mormons also score high on the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey.

512-523 – Survey

528-539 – Survey

544-554 – Survey

555 – Robert Micone & Bill O'Connor "The Money Guys" from Applied Financial Planning at 866-SEEK-COUNSEL, that's 866-733-5268 (SeekCounsel.com).

558-608 – Sean Dunn,

612-623 – Sean Dunn,

628-639 – Sean Dunn,

644-656 – Sean Dunn,

• Boris Epshteyn (9/28/2010) Republicans, All We Need Is Six Little Words to Get Our Message Out.  It only takes six words:  "small government; low taxes; national security."

• Dennis Prager (9/28/2010) Why Do Non-Leftists Vote Democrat?  Moderates pull the lever for liberal radicals because conservatives are effectively depicted as evil.

• NRO Interview (9/28/2010) Kahane's Ruling Ways: Publishing the playbook.  Kahane is actually a pseudonym for Michael Walsh, a longtime screenwriter and novelist, former mainstream-media journalist, and current mainstream-media fact-checker at BigJournalism.com. Walsh, in the person of Kahane, has a new book: Rules for Radical Conservatives: Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back America. Walsh talks to NRO's Kathryn Lopez (known in the book as Dave's mom) about how all this came to be and why it's important for American politics and culture.

AP (9/27/2010) Ga. megachurch pastor's flock standing by him. Calls: What should be our response, as Christians, when our secular friends ask about this subject? How can we respond when all Christians are compared to leaders who fall? What accountability options should leaders in churches take to prevent things like this happening?