Poll: Nearly One-Third of Americans Believe Bible Word-for-Word
Monday, May. 22, 2006

Although some recent surveys found that Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code has altered some people’s views of Christianity, a new Gallup poll reveals a long-standing decline in Americans who believe the Bible to be literally true.

According to the survey, about 3 out of 10 Americans continue to profess belief in a literal Bible today, which accounts a 10 percent drop over the past three decades. More than 1,000 adults were asked to describe their view about the Bible with 28 percent responding that the Bible is the "actual Word of God and is to be taken literally."

Poll results saw a 45 to 49 percent increase among those who said the Bible is the inspired Word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally. However, the survey also recorded a larger increase of Americans who said the Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man (13 to 19 percent). the rest