WHY AREN'T MORE CHRISTIANS READING THEIR BIBLES?

Isn't it odd that in an age where there are a wide-ranging variety of Bible translations in English and other languages, available in paper as well as electronic form, that fewer Christians read the scriptures? I think it's sad. Since I gave my life to Christ in 1969, I've had a strong desire to learn all I could about my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This, so I'm told by a variety of Christian sources, is a sure sign that I'm truly born again.

Thanks to an e-mail from Ruth L. Snyder, a fellow Christian and writer, I have some startling statistics which show the decline in Bible reading in Canada. I'm sure the figures are similar in America and Australia.

In 2013, the Canadian Bible Forum, a group of nine Canadian Bible agencies – including the Canadian Bible Society (CBS) – together with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, engaged world-class market research company, Angus Reid Strategies, to undertake the Canadian Bible Engagement Study (CEBS). More than 4,500 people across Canada were interviewed for the study, making CEBS the most recent comprehensive national study of its kind. The study revealed many details about Bible reading and engagement, with the overall finding being that most Canadians are not reading and are not interested in reading their Bible.

Specifically, study results revealed that About one in seven Canadian Christians, or 14%, read the Bible at least once a week. The majority of Canadians, including those who identify themselves as Christian, read the Bible either rarely or not at all. Only 18% of Canadians strongly agree the Bible is the Word of God, down from 35% in 1996. One in seven Canadians (13%) and about one in four Christians (23%) strongly agree that the Bible is relevant to modern life.

This indicates to me that there are two kinds of Christians. The majority profess to believe in God but don't possess salvation. They're nice folks but they haven't been fundamentally changed by surrendering the reins of their lives to Christ.

The second group of Christians have the Holy Spirit residing in their hearts and therefore have been radically changed. Like microwave cooking, transformation begins on the inside and works its way outward.

On the longest-running radio drama in history called Unshackled, I've heard true stories of how non Christians noticed a distinct change in the lives as well as the appearance of their born again friends. Moreover, it isn't feigned but a genuine change in a person's being. This shows me that real transformation does happen with a small number of those labeling themselves as Christians.

In How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity, I showed how I was misled by a pseudo-Christian church. God providentially led me to a proper understanding of himself and his Word. Check out my compelling testimony at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Virtual Bookworm Publishers.