View of the Bible (Demographic Patterns)

Which of these statements comes closest to describing your feelings about the Bible? a. The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word; b. The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word; c. The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by men.

View of the Bible by Age (General Social Survey, 2006)

	18-30	31-44	45-64	65+	Missing	TOTAL
ACTUAL	32.4% 190	35.0% 295	32.1% 332	36.8% 192	1	33.8% 1009
INSPIRED	42.9% 252	45.5% 383	48.0% 496	43.9% 229	3	45.6% 1360
ANCI.BOOK	20.4% 120	14.0% 118	17.1% 177	15.3% 80	2	16.6% 495
OTHER	2.6% 15	3.8% 32	1.5% 16	1.9% 10	0	2.4% 73
DON'T KNOW	1.5% 9	1.3% 11	0.8% 8	1.5% 8	1	1.2% 36
NO ANSWER	0.2% 1	0.4% 3	0.4% 4	0.6% 3	1	0.4% 11
Missing	263	447	563	235	10	1518
TOTAL	100% 587	100% 842	100% 1033	100% 522	18	2984

View of the Bible by Race (General Social Survey, 2006)

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
ACTUAL	28.0% 609	61.4% 256	36.5% 145	33.8% 1010
INSPIRED	49.5% 1079	30.5% 127	39.5% 157	45.6% 1363
ANCI.BOOK	18.9% 411	5.8% 24	15.6% 62	16.6% 497
OTHER	2.2% 48	1.7% 7	4.5% 18	2.4% 73
DON'T KNOW	1.0% 22	0.7% 3	3.0% 12	1.2% 37
NO ANSWER	0.4% 9	0.0% 0	0.8% 3	0.4% 12
Missing	1106	217	195	1518
TOTAL	100% 2178	100% 417	100% 397	2992

View of the Bible by Religion (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Protestant	Catholic	Jewish	None	Other	Missing	TOTAL
ACTUAL	47.9% 740	23.8% 176	13.5% 7	10.8% 53	21.1% 31	3	33.8% 1007
INSPIRED	42.8% 662	61.2% 453	53.8% 28	31.4% 155	41.5% 61	4	45.6% 1359
ANCI.BOOK	6.9% 106	12.0% 89	26.9% 14	50.3% 248	26.5% 39	1	16.7% 496
OTHER	1.7% 26	1.5% 11	1.9% 1	4.1% 20	9.5% 14	1	2.4% 72
DON'T KNOW	0.5% 8	1.2% 9	3.8% 2	3.2% 16	0.7% 1	1	1.2% 36
NO ANSWER	0.3% 4	0.3% 2	0.0% 0	0.2% 1	0.7% 1	4	0.3% 8
Missing	782	374	26	246	78	12	1518
TOTAL	100% 1546	100% 740	100% 52	100% 493	100% 147	26	2978

View of the Bible by Gender (General Social Survey, 2006)

	MALE	FEMALE	TOTAL
ACTUAL	28.4% 368	37.9% 642	33.8% 1010
INSPIRED	44.1% 571	46.7% 792	45.6% 1363
ANCI.BOOK	22.0% 285	12.5% 212	16.6% 497
OTHER	3.0% 39	2.0% 34	2.4% 73
DON'T KNOW	1.9% 25	0.7% 12	1.2% 37
NO ANSWER	0.6% 8	0.2% 4	0.4% 12
Missing	707	811	1518
TOTAL	100% 1296	100% 1696	2992

View of the Bible by Church attendance (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Never	Yearly	Monthly	Weekly	Missing	TOTAL
ACTUAL	17.8% 125	24.7% 220	38.1% 173	52.4% 489	3	33.8% 1007
INSPIRED	38.2% 269	52.5% 468	50.0% 227	42.7% 398	1	45.7% 1362
ANCI.BOOK	37.1% 261	18.5% 165	8.6% 39	3.3% 31	1	16.6% 496
OTHER	3.4% 24	3.0% 27	2.4% 11	1.2% 11	0	2.4% 73
DON'T KNOW	3.1% 22	1.0% 9	0.4% 2	0.3% 3	1	1.2% 36
NO ANSWER	0.4% 3	0.2% 2	0.4% 2	0.1% 1	4	0.3% 8
Missing	316	484	234	475	9	1518
TOTAL	100% 704	100% 891	100% 454	100% 933	19	2982

View of the Bible by Political ideology (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
ACTUAL	23.6% 185	30.8% 338	43.1% 435	52	33.1% 958
INSPIRED	44.3% 348	49.6% 545	44.5% 449	21	46.4% 1342
ANCI.BOOK	29.2% 229	15.3% 168	8.9% 90	10	16.8% 487
OTHER	1.8% 14	2.4% 26	2.9% 29	4	2.4% 69
DON'T KNOW	0.9% 7	1.5% 16	0.7% 7	7	1.0% 30
NO ANSWER	0.3% 2	0.5% 5	0.0% 0	5	0.2% 7
Missing	395	585	460	78	1518
TOTAL	100% 785	100% 1098	100% 1010	177	2893

View of the Bible by Education (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Not High School	High School	Jr. College	B.A.	Grad Degree	Missing	TOTAL
ACTUAL	53.8% 238	36.9% 549	34.2% 92	18.1% 95	13.3% 36	0	33.8% 1010
INSPIRED	29.6% 131	44.6% 663	48.0% 129	57.1% 299	52.0% 141	0	45.6% 1363
ANCI.BOOK	12.4% 55	14.9% 221	13.0% 35	19.7% 103	30.6% 83	0	16.6% 497
OTHER	1.8% 8	2.0% 30	3.0% 8	3.8% 20	2.6% 7	0	2.4% 73
DON'T KNOW	2.3% 10	1.1% 17	1.1% 3	0.8% 4	1.1% 3	0	1.2% 37
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.4% 6	0.7% 2	0.6% 3	0.4% 1	0	0.4% 12
Missing	249	787	108	239	132	3	1518
TOTAL	100% 442	100% 1486	100% 269	100% 524	100% 271	3	2992

Notes

General Social Survey, 2006: The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972 except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2006 GSS includes a topical module for mental health. Items in the 2006 GSS include questions on religious self-identification, denominational affiliation, personal beliefs, and religious upbringing.