More unsurprising news. Poll after poll has come out declaring that the United States is the most religious developed nation in the world, and the least tolerant of atheism. Though our nation was founded by strong, strong secularists, theism has crept up and overtaken the country. Equally unsurprising? The fact that most people have no idea what’s going on in their own dang religion.

Fewer than half of us can identify Genesis as the first book of the Bible, and only one third know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

Approximately 75 percent of adults, according to polls cited by Prothero, mistakenly believe the Bible teaches that “God helps those who help themselves.” More than 10 percent think that Noah’s wife was Joan of Arc. Only half can name even one of the four Gospels, and — a finding that will surprise many — evangelical Christians are only slightly more knowledgeable than their non-evangelical counterparts.

This surprises me less than apparently most would think. I’ve noticed that the most religious of those I know only are aware of generic lessons gleaned from the Bible, or various prayers and lessons taught by priests or other church leaders. They aren’t too aware of what’s actually in there.

By contrast, I’ve found that nonbelievers know a heck of a lot of what’s between the covers, often in the Qu’Ran as well. The critics are capable of pointing out certain particularly damning verses, often motivated by such things as the oh so friendly folks such as Donald Spitz in my comments below who use selected verses to make hostile attacks on others. These folks are generally unaware of everything surrounding it or perhaps context, which atheists such as myself are more than happy to research.

Surprising? No. Depressing? Hell yes. I’ll leave you with a quote by Sam Harris: “People who harbor strong convictions without evidence belong at the margins of our societies, not in our halls of power.”