A majority of Americans believe the country would be better off if people followed the teachings of the Bible over the Quran, the Muslim holy book.
Lifeway Research interviewed 1,000 Americans to learn their opinions about the Bible and Quran.
The results are a bit shocking.
Questioners asked interviewees if they considered the text of each book to be dangerous, and if it would be helpful, or harmful for American society to follow the teachings of each.
Twenty-four percent of Americans considered the Quran to be a dangerous book, and only 9 percent felt that way about the Bible. Eighty percent said the Bible is good for American society.
But the most shocking response came when 28 percent of respondents said they think following the Quran would be good for the country, and 25 percent said they didn’t know if the Quran is dangerous, or good.
How could this be, when only slightly more than one half of one percent of the total U.S. population is Muslim?
According to the 2010 U.S. Religion Census, 2.6-million Americans are Muslim. That figure has grown by 1.6 million since 2000.
Are these informed and educated opinions about the Quran, or views based on feelings?
Those polled were not asked if they had read the Quran, or if they were familiar with Islamic teachings.
The Lifeway survey also found that 14 percent of respondents felt that following the Bible’s teachings would be harmful to American society, while 33 percent felt the same about the Quran.
Also, Lifeway Research found significant differences of opinion based on region and age.
While 30 percent of Southerners agreed that the Quran is a dangerous book, only 17 percent of Northeasterners felt the same way. Younger people are less likely than older Americans to agree with the danger assessment of the Quran. Only 14 percent of those age 18-24 said the Quran is a dangerous book, while more than one third of those 65+ (34 percent) felt the same way.
And Southerners (7 percent) are less likely than Westerners (12 percent) to believe that the Bible is a dangerous book.
The full Lifeway Research Survey on American Views on Sacred Texts and Society can be viewed here: Lifeway Survey.
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