(From a news release by DeMoss News) In a summer filled with superhero cinema, Americans are confusing Captain America’s messages of triumph with quotes from the Bible. The results of a survey released today found 63 percent of U.S. adults incorrectly attributed 2 Corinthians 4:8 about overcoming suffering and hardships to civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., former President George W. Bush or comic book hero Captain America rather than the Bible. Martin Luther King Jr. received the highest percentage of attributions.
The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of American Bible Society to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11 and the release of The Freedom Bible also found that:
- Despite significant security measures taken since Sept. 11, only 9 percent of Americans feel safer today than they did prior to Sept. 11. Thirty-six percent felt safer prior to the attacks of Sept. 11 than they do today.
- Only 4 percent of Americans rely most on professional counseling to help deal with trauma. Four times as many (16 percent) rely most on the Bible.
- Despite living in a predominantly Christian nation, 82 percent of Americans who have dealt with trauma rely most on sources other than the Bible to cope, including 6 percent of whom say they do not rely on anything.
“Though 10 years have passed since the attacks on the U.S., many of us vividly recall the images and emotions of that day,” said Geof Morin, chief communications officer at American Bible Society. “In the aftermath of 9/11, we at American Bible Society saw firsthand the power of the Bible to help people deal with unfathomable trauma.”
“The Bible – not politicians, comic book heroes or civil rights activists – was the first to speak out about dealing with trauma and gaining freedom,” said Commissioner William Roberts, National Commander for The Salvation Army, a collaborator on The Freedom Bible project.
The Freedom Bible, a collaborative effort between American Bible Society and The Salvation Army, highlights stories of how the Bible has helped people to overcome trauma. Not a new translation, The Freedom Bible is the first to highlight more than 3,500 verses that refer to various aspects of freedom, including from fear, from suffering, from loss, from anger, from guilt and more.
