Middletown Area Study, 1995

• Summary
• Codebook
• Search
• Download
• Results

BIBLE Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your feelings about the Bible?   1) The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word   2) The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word   3) The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles   4) Don't know

Pie Chart Bar Chart Cumulative Bar Chart

Category	Frequency	Percentage	Cumulative Percentage	Z-Score
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	191	46.5%	46.5%	-.91
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	157	38.2%	84.7%	.37
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	53	12.9%	97.6%	1.65
Don't know	10	2.4%	100%	2.93

Variable Comparisons

Sex Marital status Education Place of birth Race Age Household income Political party Religion

Sex (I-SEX)

	Male	Female	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	36.5% 65	54.1% 126	46.5% 191
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	41.0% 73	36.1% 84	38.2% 157
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	19.1% 34	8.2% 19	12.9% 53
Don't know	3.4% 6	1.7% 4	2.4% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 178	100.0% 233	411

Marital status (I-MARITAL)

	Married	Widowed	Div./Sep.	Nev. marr.	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	45.3% 107	51.2% 65	44.1% 15	36.4% 4	46.8% 191
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	40.3% 95	33.9% 43	29.4% 10	54.5% 6	37.7% 154
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	12.7% 30	11.0% 14	23.5% 8	9.1% 1	13.0% 53
Don't know	1.7% 4	3.9% 5	2.9% 1	0.0% 0	2.5% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 236	100.0% 127	100.0% 34	100.0% 11	408

Education (I-EDUCATN)

	Lt H.S.	H.S. grad	SomCol/Trd	Coll grad	Grad schl	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	68.7% 68	47.2% 83	35.0% 21	28.1% 9	20.9% 9	46.3% 190
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	22.2% 22	38.6% 68	48.3% 29	46.9% 15	53.5% 23	38.3% 157
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	5.1% 5	11.9% 21	15.0% 9	25.0% 8	23.3% 10	12.9% 53
Don't know	4.0% 4	2.3% 4	1.7% 1	0.0% 0	2.3% 1	2.4% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 99	100.0% 176	100.0% 60	100.0% 32	100.0% 43	410

Place of birth (I-WHERBORN)

	Delaware County	Other Indiana county	Outside Indiana	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	50.7% 71	38.0% 49	50.0% 71	46.5% 191
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	37.1% 52	42.6% 55	35.2% 50	38.2% 157
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	10.7% 15	17.1% 22	11.3% 16	12.9% 53
Don't know	1.4% 2	2.3% 3	3.5% 5	2.4% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 140	100.0% 129	100.0% 142	411

Race (I-RACE)

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	45.2% 176	70.0% 14	100.0% 1	46.6% 191
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	39.1% 152	20.0% 4	0.0% 0	38.0% 156
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	13.6% 53	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	12.9% 53
Don't know	2.1% 8	10.0% 2	0.0% 0	2.4% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 389	100.0% 20	100.0% 1	410

Age (I-AGE)

	60-64	65-69	70-74	75-79	80 & up	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	41.5% 44	48.5% 50	48.3% 43	45.6% 26	48.1% 26	46.2% 189
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	45.3% 48	32.0% 33	38.2% 34	42.1% 24	33.3% 18	38.4% 157
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	11.3% 12	16.5% 17	10.1% 9	12.3% 7	14.8% 8	13.0% 53
Don't know	1.9% 2	2.9% 3	3.4% 3	0.0% 0	3.7% 2	2.4% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 106	100.0% 103	100.0% 89	100.0% 57	100.0% 54	409

Household income (I-INCOME)

	10K & less	10-20K	20-30K	30-50K	50K & up	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	65.9% 54	43.4% 46	45.9% 28	25.5% 12	26.8% 11	44.8% 151
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	22.0% 18	47.2% 50	34.4% 21	53.2% 25	48.8% 20	39.8% 134
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	8.5% 7	8.5% 9	18.0% 11	19.1% 9	22.0% 9	13.4% 45
Don't know	3.7% 3	0.9% 1	1.6% 1	2.1% 1	2.4% 1	2.1% 7
TOTAL	100.0% 82	100.0% 106	100.0% 61	100.0% 47	100.0% 41	337

Political party (I-PARTY)

	Republican	Independnt	Democrat	Varies/Oth	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	37.5% 45	36.0% 18	57.8% 63	47.0% 55	45.7% 181
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	48.3% 58	38.0% 19	26.6% 29	41.0% 48	38.9% 154
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	12.5% 15	24.0% 12	11.9% 13	9.4% 11	12.9% 51
Don't know	1.7% 2	2.0% 1	3.7% 4	2.6% 3	2.5% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 120	100.0% 50	100.0% 109	100.0% 117	396

Religion (I-RELIGION)

	Catholic	Protestant	Christian	None	Other/DK	TOTAL
The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word	31.4% 11	45.3% 116	64.5% 49	20.0% 5	60.0% 9	46.7% 190
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word	60.0% 21	39.8% 102	27.6% 21	36.0% 9	13.3% 2	38.1% 155
The Bible is an ancient book of stories, legends, history and moral principles	8.6% 3	14.1% 36	5.3% 4	28.0% 7	13.3% 2	12.8% 52
Don't know	0.0% 0	0.8% 2	2.6% 2	16.0% 4	13.3% 2	2.5% 10
TOTAL	100.0% 35	100.0% 256	100.0% 76	100.0% 25	100.0% 15	407