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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Sept. 28, 2010
/ 20 Tishrei, 5771
Survey: Many Americans are religious illiterates
By
Annysa Johnson
Troubling national study, to be released today, finds large percentage of populace knows little about faiths, including their own
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Did you know that most people in Indonesia are Muslim? That American public school teachers can read from the Bible as an example of literature? That only Protestants traditionally teach that salvation comes through faith alone?
Chances are you did not.
A new survey being released today by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life suggests that large numbers of Americans know little about the world's major religions, including their own.
It comes at a time when religion underlies some of the most contentious social and political issues of the day, from immigration reform and the construction of a mosque near ground zero to efforts to craft a lasting peace in the Middle East.
The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, a first-of-its-kind attempt to gauge the nation's religious literacy, found wide gaps in Americans' understanding of the beliefs, practices, history and leading figures of the major faith traditions, according to the Pew Forum.
"It confirms the fact that the United States is a nation of religious illiterates," said Boston University professor Stephen Prothero, whose 2007 book "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — And Doesn't" inspired the survey, and who served as an adviser on it.
Prothero and others say the findings raise troubling questions about Americans' understanding of their own history and culture; their ability to take part in the political process at home, and understand developments abroad.
"That's the more urgent; that's where illiteracy is dangerous," said Prothero.
"If people around the world were motivated purely by greed and power, economics would be enough to understand the world. But people all over the world are motivated by their religious convictions."
The Pew survey of more than 3,400 people asked 32 questions over seven topics: the Bible; elements of Christianity, Judaism and Mormonism; knowledge of world religions; atheism and agnosticism; and the role of religion in public life.
On average, respondents correctly answered half of the questions, according to Pew, with 10 percent getting 25 to 28 right, and 11 percent getting five to eight questions right.
Among the findings:
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Atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons scored the highest, outperforming evangelical and mainline Protestants and Catholics on the survey.
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Mormons and white evangelicals knew the most about Christianity and the Bible.
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Jews, atheists and agnostics were most knowledgeable about world religions and the role of religion in public life, including what the U.S. Constitution says about religion.
As for their own faith traditions:
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Nearly half of all Catholics surveyed did not know their church teaches that the bread and wine in Communion actually become the body and blood of Christ.
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More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.
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And four in 10 Jews did not know that the medieval philosopher Maimonides was Jewish.
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Fewer than a third of those surveyed knew the answers to the questions posed at the beginning of this story.
The Pew findings come as no surprise to religion educators, who say they see them play out in the classroom regularly.
"Just the other day, I asked my students, 'Who said: Man shall not live by bread alone and in what context?'" said Lakshmi Bharadwaj, associate professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"And only one person — out of 36 or 38 students — could answer," he said.
Bharadwaj and Susan Wood, chairman of the Theology Department at Marquette University, say they've seen an erosion of religious knowledge among students over the last 30 to 40 years — brought on, they say, by the growing secularism of society.
"This is enormously important," even beyond the religious implications, said Wood.
"You can't understand Western civilization unless you understand religion," she said. "How can you understand your cultural heritage in terms of art? How do you understand literary allusions in novels? Even a non-religious person needs religious literacy to understand he artifacts of our civilizations."
In an effort to improve religious literacy, advocates have developed a set of guidelines and standards for teaching about religion in public schools, and there's been some progress. A number of school districts across the country offer elective courses on religion, said Charles Haynes, director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
"Still," he said, "teachers in many places are afraid to tackle religion. ... and teacher education programs do not prepare them to do so."
And even if they did, is improving religious literacy enough?
No, says, Mark Silk, director of the Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.
"As a matter of general education, and in multicultural, pluralistic society, it's good to know something about other religions," Silk said.
"The bottom line is: If it's not accompanied by values, including the value of truth-telling and good judgment, and humanity, knowing some facts won't get you anywhere."
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© 2010, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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