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"A disturbing poll by the respected Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals that U.S. atheists and agnostics, as well as Jews and Mormons, know more about religion than do most of the strong majority of Americans who are Protestants and Catholics."
Personally, I did not find this surprising at all. Most of the Christians I know are comprised of two extremes: they either hold vague, ill-formed beliefs or they're very knowledgeable about the Bible and religion in general. The former's ideas about religion are rarely on target and most have never bothered to read religious texts.
Most atheists I've met tend to be more in the middle. As the saying goes, they know just enough to be dangerous. Their ideas are generally wrapped around bad personal experiences and the hatred found in the modern atheist community.
An interesting book I ran into recently is Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism
"Starting with Freud's "projection theory" of religion-that belief in God is merely a product of man's desire for security-Professor Vitz argues that psychoanalysis actually provides a more satisfying explanation for atheism. Disappointment in one's earthly father, whether through death, absence, or mistreatment, frequently leads to a rejection of God. A biographical survey of influential atheists of the past four centuries shows that this "defective father hypothesis" provides a consistent explanation of the "intense atheism" of these thinkers. A survey of the leading intellectual defenders of Christianity over the same period confirms the hypothesis, finding few defective fathers. Professor Vitz concludes with an intriguing comparison of male and female atheists and a consideration of other psychological factors that can contribute to atheism.
Professor Vitz does not argue that atheism is psychologically determined. Each man, whatever his experiences, ultimately chooses to accept God or reject him. Yet the cavalier attribution of religious faith to irrational, psychological needs is so prevalent that an exposition of the psychological factors predisposing one to atheism is necessary."
Now Agnostics, on the other hand, tend to be the most intellectual. Their knowledge and literacy are in the top percentile. Psychologically, their reasons for not choosing God are not based in emotion. Usually what holds them back is the desire for a personal experience with God beyond the norm. They want a miracle on demand. Personally, I think they set their expectations too high, with the bar being set so high that it's unlikely to occur...unless God is willing.
The article mentions a quiz; you can take an online quiz with the Pew Forum here:
http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/
I took the test and here are my results:
I've read the entire Bible several times, the Qur'an/Koran and Hadith once, and large portions of the Book of Mormon (along with other Mormon texts and Joseph Smith sermons), Bhagavad Gita, Vedas, and the various Buddhist Sutras. I've studied Biology, Physics, Cosmology, Mathematics, and Engineering.
While I find the intellectual arguments from atheists weak at best I will admit that the intellect plays a smaller part in my decision. The primary reason I'm a Christian is personal subjective experience that cannot be duplicated in an experimental or logical fashion. I know what it is to have a relationship with God. I've never participated in or seen with my own eyes a miracle. But I know family and trusted friends who have.
Besides the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the only direct contact I've had with God is when I was trying to decide whether to ask my wife to marry me. I remember clearly how I was waiting in my car for a train to pass. I was praying and I heard an audible voice say, "Yes!"
My wife shared a similar experience which she did not tell me about until we were married. Years before we even met she became frustrated with the guys she was dating. She prayed that she'd be led to her future husband. That night she had a dream where she was told her husband would be named Patrick. The next morning she dismissed the dream, though, because the only Patrick she knew lived down the street and she didn't want anything to do with the guy.
This just goes to show that knowledge is not everything. Real faith is not blind. But sometimes the brain gets in the way of knowing God.
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