Every year, the American Bible Society publishes their incredibly official-sounding “State of the Bible” survey results, reporting deep on how Americans are engaging with the Word of God. This year’s study is extensive and comprehensive, with some encouraging and demoralizing numbers.
One portion of the survey asked Americans if they thought the Bible was a daily necessity. Scripture was put on a list next to coffee, something sweet and social media. Coffee saw a plurality of respondents, with about 37 percent saying the beverage was fundamental to their day. Another 28 percent of Americans said something sweet was essential and 19 percent said social media was essential. The Bible? It came in around 16 percent. Not a great look.
The study was segmented by demographic, so the American Bible Society shared some more skewed, demo-specific data. For example, people most likely to opt for the Bible as essential were married adults, college graduates, households with young children and people from the South. Obviously, households that identify as “Bible-centered” (read the Bible four or five times a week or every day) are most likely to say it’s a daily necessity (61 percent).
