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We may not want to copy the early Presbyterian way of symbolizing the authority of Scriptures in worship, but the omission of reading the Bible as an act of worship is a symptom of a serious problem that we must address.

Donald N. Bastian is an emeritus bishop of the Free Methodist Church and lives in Brampton, Ontario.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

"Conversation about faith or morals is often blocked by the other's misunderstanding of what the Bible says or what the Christian faith teaches," lamented former Christianity Today columnist Frederica Mathewes-Green in a Feb. 7, 2000, piece chronicling biblical illiteracy in the media and society at large.

A Barna Research Group study released in July 2000 found that 75 percent of Americans agree with the statement, "The Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves." But that's not all. Barna's group questioned people on 14 different items. "Only 3 of the 1002 adults interviewed—less than three-tenths of one percent—had both a firm and biblically-consistent opinion for all 14 of the items," Barna reports.

The Boston Globe's language columnist, Jan Freeman, lamented biblical illiteracy in the December 19, 1999, edition of the newspaper. The article, "Bible Quotes that Miss the Boat," is still online, but you will have to pay to read it ($2.95 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST weekdays, and $1.50 at all other times).

The Westside Baptist Church in Boynton Beach, Florida, received national attention for its efforts to combat biblical illiteracy though the Internet.

The Web site of the Free Methodist Church in Canada offers a photo and e-mail address for Donald Bastian.

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March 5 2001, Vol. 45, No. 4