How much Christians know about Bible? What about Muslims?

muslim woman - i know you weren't asking me, but i suppose i can answer a few.

[quote]
--do Christians believe that if they read Bible , they will get rewards from God ?
[quote]
reading the Word of God is especially important! so i would say you would get rewards.

---if Christians believe Bible is from God , why don't they care ?

because the vast, vast majority aren't really Chrsitian. they are christian by name, and they want to believe that they are good Christians, but they aren't always.

---i guess , it's true about many of us.....we learnt to get good marks or good job. It reminds me of a hadith : ( not the exact words ) : one sign before the last day is people will learn not to get knowledge but to get earthy benifits only.

-- who are those 2 % unfortunate people ? Must be Muslims

lol no, it's prolly underprivalidged people who our goernment refuses to help.

Many Muslims don't read Quran because they can't read

yeah, but the qu'ran isn't very hard to memorize.. and it actually is pretty short. so i don't think it's hard for most muslims to understand the message :-o

---those who are highly educated , it's expected that they read outside their syllabus , too. If they read so many books , how come they don't their own holy books ?

people just simply don't take their faith seriously anymore.

I m not telling this about Christians only , many Muslims also read Quran occasionally. 2 reasons they give :

1- they recite from Quran ( it's a must ) in prayers .

2. accidently /unwillingly they don't want to show disrespect to Quran. So , they wraaped Quran in a beautiful cloth & put in the highest place in the room i.e top of the Almirah . LOL.

lol

--- i think, i asked this question earlier ...don't remember the answer. Why so many Christians use the story of Jesus's (p) forgiveness of a prostitute as an excuse to commit major sins like adultery & gayism ?

adultery is never justified. but we, as Christians, are taught to forgive people, and give other changes. never did Jesus tell the adulteress that she could continue what she was doing. in fact, Jesus told her to NOT do it anymore, and to repent. but He still forgave her.

as for "gayism." not everyone sees homosexuality as a sin. i certainly don't.

In minimum 3 forums , few Christians gave me that example . Even if it's true that Jesus (p) told people not to punish that sinner , he must not encourage her to continue the sin.

Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."- john 8:11

I feel sad that some or many Christians take this story to justify their sin. How they got that idea that hate the sin but not the sinners ( not the exact words ) mean Christians can commit sins intentionally day after day ? What role Churches play to remove this misconception ?

i am sad that Christians take this story to justify their sin too. but to be honest, i don't know many Christians who do that.

format_quote Originally Posted by Grace Seeker

I think you might still be not understanding me.


First, thank-you for explaining this for those who might not have known what I met by the missal. I do know what it is. It will have the day's readings from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the Epsitle, and the Gospel -- one from each. And as you said, by printing it in this fashion one does not have to flip through pages in a Bible to find the passage.

What I think you missed in my referencing of the missal, or maybe are not aware, is that even if one was to read the missal every day of one's life for 100 years, and read all of the scripture passages that are printed in it, one would still not have read the entire Bible. The reason is that neither the missal, nor any lectionary, even tries to present the entire Bible through the use of it. Rather, they present a significant portion of the Bible, they include what are generally considered all of the highpoints, but there are also stories and passages that one would never read if one only knew as much Bible as one read in the missal or heard proclaimed through lectionary based preaching. Check this website out to learn How much of the Bible is included in the Lectionary for Mass? Not as much as you might think, yet far more than was included in the Roman Missal before the Second Vatican Council!.

Just as this Roman Catholic Lectionary website states, "since many parts of the Bible (esp. the Old Testament) are still not included in the Lectionary, one must go beyond the readings used at Mass to cover the entire Bible." Thus, in my opinion, there really is no substitute for sitting down with the Bible itself and reading through it.




I didn't use the figure of 50% to say that Catholics read the Bible less than Protestants. I can only report on what I know. I have not seen what I would call a scientifically valid survey on the frequency of Bible reading. Some years ago, I attended a seminar where it was said that only about 15% of any congregation are involved in any given activity beyond worship. But, they weren't speaking specifically of Bible study, and it was made as an off-hand comment that happened to catch my attention. So, I don't know if there was any real documentation done on arriving at it. But, in discussing it, to move from mere opinion to something that might be at least close to fact based, one must deal with actual numbers. You will note that I began with numbers based on my own experiences in churches, protestant churches. In doing so, I showed that less than 60% of my active worship attenders were involved in any form of group Bible study. And my active attenders represent less than 2/3 of my membership. So that translates to about 20% of my congregation involved in any form of group Bible study. And then I shared my experience as a pastor is that while not all those who are involved in group Bible study will do the "comprehensive reading and studying from beginning to end" that MustafaMc spoke of, that none who do not engage in the group Bible study will take the time to do the comprehensive persoanl study on their own. I have been a pastor at more than one church, and I find this trend is pretty consistent through-out, though perhaps a little higher at my present church than others I have served. The net result is that I am certain that well less than 50% of Protestant Christians, my guess, probably less than 10% of Protestant Christian take time to do the comprehensive beginning to end study that we are speaking of in elsewhere in this thread.

Now, do more Catholics than that do so. Based on what I have heard and experienced in life, I don't think so. But I did cite the only real numbers I had on Catholics, and in it as much as 80% said they did, and I said so. I also said that I doubted that I could find a Protestant group where the figure would be that high. I do find that figure high and don't think it really reflects the frequency of Bible reading among Catholics. Not that I think those individuals are lying, but rather that they represent a rather unique subset of Catholics, much like yourself, who are more active in practicing their faith than the average Catholic. That is an assumption of mine based on life. I may be right. I may be wrong. And I own that it is just an opinion, not a proven fact.

With respect to the actual 50% figure that I cited and you appear to have taken exception to. Again what that was in reference to is NOT whether or not Catholics read their Bible daily, but the self reporting of a different small group of Catholics who admitted to never reading their Bible at all, but who maintained their faith only through prayer and worship. I don't think we can extrapolate from either of these groups to all of Catholicism, but they are the only hard stats that I had.






That is great news!!! I too see in it some quarters this increased interests. In others I still see stagnation. But let us celebrate the vibrancy of faith and increase in seeking to nurture and express one's spiritual life that you are experiencing in your local congregation. Would that it were true everywhere.

a typical Catholic is asked to have 4 things..

1. Bible
2. Catechism
3. Rosary
4. Crucifix

Church isn't the only time we Worship. Catholics are asked to Worship as much as possible.

i have seen protestant sermons that have been 2 hours long, dedicated entirely on one or two verses. and i can't think of a single Protestant Church that has read the entire Bible. it's no surprise that the same would be for the RCC

format_quote Originally Posted by Malaikah

500-600 pages is not hard to memorise?:eek: :rolleyes:

Yes, it is very difficult to do this. As a 46 year old American I find difficult to meomorize each Arabic verse of the Quran. I have computer programs whereby I can listen to a verse repeatedly, but I have to repeat it over and over again to get it to sink in. I have to also memorize the English translation so I will know what I am reciting in prayer.

If a Christian memorized a verse of the Bible most likely the words would be at least slightly different from someone else's memorization because there a so many translations into so many different languages. In contrast, when I recite the 7 verses of Al-Fatiha, any Muslim from anywhere in the world recites exactly the same.

format_quote Originally Posted by Muslim Woman

Salaam/peace ,

And peace to you as well.

--do Christians believe that if they read Bible , they will get rewards from God ?

I suppose some do. I think the knowledge we gain from reading the Bible is its own reward. The Bible makes only a few mentions of there being rewards in heaven, none of these (that I am aware of) have to do with memorizing scripture, but instead about how we live our lives in relationship with others.

---if Christians believe Bible is from God , why don't they care ?

I think Thirdwatch had it right. Not every who claims to be a Christian actually practices Christianity. Some are Christian in name only. I think all those who really are serious about their faith do care enough to read the Bible and learn what God wishes for them in their life. They may not all realize the importance of reading the whole of the scripture and may feel that that which they learn from simply attending worship and Sunday school is sufficient. That is probably because we in the church have not done our job well enough in challenging them to more serious study on their own, or they have tried, didn't understand much and gave up too quickly. Those are the two biggest reasons that I see that genuine Christians don't get into the word. Though I think maybe there is also a component of laziness, and think that it is something that only experts need to or can study -- though if they think the latter that would be false.

---i guess , it's true about many of us.....we learnt to get good marks or good job. It reminds me of a hadith : ( not the exact words ) : one sign before the last day is people will learn not to get knowledge but to get earthy benifits only.

Some things are common to human nature.

-- who are those 2 % unfortunate people ? Must be Muslims

Having met a few of the 2%, they were people who came from socially & economically impoverished backgrounds. Often they had parents who had to work 2 & 3 jobs simply to keep food on the table, they got little parenting as a result, when in school were promoted even though they did not know the material, and often dropped out of school early and nobody followed-up on them. Star athletes have also been promoted like this and got all the way to college before someone realized they they couldn't read. Some had learning difficulties (like dyslexia) that were uncaught and yet they were smart enough to fake their way through school. And in a few cases they simply were raised in terrible conditions in isolated communities where they were the world just swept by their door and never made its way in, their parents kept away and kept them away from people so that it wasn't even known that there was a child who wasn't enrolled in school, at a young age they would enter adult society as a common laborer working for that day's pay in cash and thus no one ever realized that the person could not read.

Many Muslims don't read Quran because they can't read

It's sad when anyone in a literate culture does not have the opportunity to learn to read. It is a key to knowledge and knowledge is a key to learning about God and success in life.

---those who are highly educated , it's expected that they read outside their syllabus , too. If they read so many books , how come they don't their own holy books ?

I m not telling this about Christians only , many Muslims also read Quran occasionally. 2 reasons they give :

1- they recite from Quran ( it's a must ) in prayers .

2. accidently /unwillingly they don't want to show disrespect to Quran. So , they wraaped Quran in a beautiful cloth & put in the highest place in the room i.e top of the Almirah . LOL.

I think that is basically the same question I already answered above: "-if Christians believe Bible is from God , why don't they care ?" But truthfully, in the USA, just because a person is literate, even highly educated, doesn't mean that he/she reads lots of books. I have a masters degree and then a little more, but I rarely sit down to just read a book --I spend too much time answering questions on the internet. The USA has the highest reading literacy rate of any nation in the world, but the vast majority of our society won't complete even 1 book this year. We've become a visual society.

--- i think, i asked this question earlier ...don't remember the answer. Why so many Christians use the story of Jesus's (p) forgiveness of a prostitute as an excuse to commit major sins like adultery & gayism ?


In minimum 3 forums , few Christians gave me that example . Even if it's true that Jesus (p) told people not to punish that sinner , he must not encourage her to continue the sin.

I feel sad that some or many Christians take this story to justify their sin. How they got that idea that hate the sin but not the sinners ( not the exact words ) mean Christians can commit sins intentionally day after day ? What role Churches play to remove this misconception ?

If this is off topic here , may be u can reply in the answer by Christian thread.

I think duskiness address this well. Though I would have to admit that I have heard a few people who used stories like this to excuse themselves to do that which they knew was a sin -- not necessarilu adultery, but one could apply it to virtually any sin. Still, when we in the church read the story, I am sure that everyone who reads it also reads the last line: "go and sin no more". The church does not tell this story to grant people permission to sin. We tell this story to remind people that forgiveness exists when one has sinned. Of course, there are always people who will hear what they want to hear in almost any conversation, even if that is not what was said.

I will read rest of ur post Insha Allah later .

thanks for ur patience....u were learnt to be patient as a part of ur job ?

If only my wife thought I was patient.

format_quote Originally Posted by hemoo

okay a question to christians and jews :

how many people you know of your religion memorize the whole verses of the sacred Scripture of your religion?

so how many Jew you know memorize the torah in its original language ?

and how many christian you know memorize the whole Bible in its original revealed language ?

I don't personally know of, or even heard of anyone who has memorized the whole Bible in its original language. That would require knowing Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Also, unless one speaks those languages there really isn't much point to it.

Remember, for the Christian, it is generally considered sufficient for a person to study the Bible in their native tongue and trust the work of those who have done the work of translating. Of course, it is better if you have studied sufficiently to be able to read and interpret (not just recite) the scripture in the original languages, but few other than clergy and scholars would do this. I myself, a pastor, only speak Greek not Hebrew and while I may read and study the Bible (or the New Testament at least) in Greek, I do all of my memory work in English (and sometimes Spanish) because these are the languages I speak in normal conversation.

For the Christian, application is more important than recitation. So, memorizing the scriptures in their original languages merely to be able to say the words would seem pointless. One could easily pick up a book from which to read it, if that was all one wanted to do. But if one wants to meditate on the verse and consider how they apply to one's life, that seems best done in the language that one speaks and thinks in living out one's daily life. So, it is that all those who I know that take the time to memorize the Bible do so in their native tongues.

format_quote Originally Posted by MustafaMc

Yes, it is very difficult to do this [memorize the Quran]. As a 46 year old American I find difficult to meomorize each Arabic verse of the Quran. I have computer programs whereby I can listen to a verse repeatedly, but I have to repeat it over and over again to get it to sink in. I have to also memorize the English translation so I will know what I am reciting in prayer.

If a Christian memorized a verse of the Bible most likely the words would be at least slightly different from someone else's memorization because there a so many translations into so many different languages. In contrast, when I recite the 7 verses of Al-Fatiha, any Muslim from anywhere in the world recites exactly the same.

Personally, I applaude the efforts of Muslims to memorize their scriptures. Whether it was 4 pages or 1600 pages, easy or difficult, is not the point. The point to me seems to be that it is a declaration of how important they are to one in the living out of and the practicing of one's faith. I wish that more Christians would take the time to memorize more.

Yes, you are right that we might have use different words. Some would memorize in Spanish, some in English, some in Russian, and still others in Chinese. And as you said, even among English speakers, there might be anyone of several different translations used -- though I don't think of that as a big problem. I am slightly envious of you Muslims who can all cite the same verse in Arabic. Of course, that wouldn't do me any good even if I was a Muslim, as I don't speak Arabic. Nonetheless, I still applaude you for the willingness of so many to learn a language they do not know, simply so that you may have the one thing in common in your faith. Christians have only a few words that we all speak in common: maranatha, hallelujah, and amen.

I agree that if I met a random muslim I'd expect them to have some parts of the Quran memorized, and certainly to have read the book. If I ran into a random christian I'd doubt that they'd have read more than the gospels, if that.

I am confident that I know more about the bible than the average Christian. ANd I don't think that is saying much at all.

format_quote Originally Posted by Grace Seeker

Nonetheless, I still applaude you for the willingness of so many to learn a language they do not know, simply so that you may have the one thing in common in your faith. Christians have only a few words that we all speak in common: maranatha, hallelujah, and amen.

Actually, we learn the Arabic because some of the meaning is lost in the translation to another language. To me the miracle of the Quran is that it has been preserved intact, word-for-word, letter-by-letter as recited by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Every Muslim recites the Surah Al-Fatiha exactly as recited by the Prophet. It is obvious that since Jesus (pbuh) did not speak English, he did not actually say, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name...", even though he may have said something similar.

format_quote Originally Posted by Pygoscelis

I agree that if I met a random muslim I'd expect them to have some parts of the Quran memorized, and certainly to have read the book. If I ran into a random christian I'd doubt that they'd have read more than the gospels, if that.

I am confident that I know more about the bible than the average Christian. ANd I don't think that is saying much at all.

I find it interesting how the average Christian becomes more and more likely to be not just nominal, but active and seriously involved in personal Bible study the farther south one goes in the USA. I see that you live in Canada, just from a cursory look based on a few visits to your lovely country, it seems that Canadians might (in general) be even less religious than folks in the northern parts of the USA. That might have a bearing on your experience in running into random Christians. Try the same experiment in Plains, Georgia and I think you would get a different result.