Bible remains highly regarded by American teens, Barna poll finds

The research commissioned by the American Bible Society showed that 86 percent of American teens regarded the Bible as a sacred text. The poll conducted by Barna Research found out that around seven out of 10 teens had their own copy of the Bible and most of them read it regularly.

The 2016 Teen State of the Bible research was conducted to find out about the Bible reading habits of American teens and learn about how they viewed the book. Another goal of the study was to determine their beliefs about the Bible's role in society.

The findings revealed that teens were encouraged upon seeing others read the Bible in public. 36 percent were grateful to see that the sacred book was still important to others. 10 percent think that people reading it were old-fashioned.

With regards to their reading habits, 44 percent reported that they read the sacred book at least three to four times a year. 25 percent said they read the Bible at least once a week while 11 percent read it several times a week.

Some teens reported that they struggled to read the Bible because they lacked time. 14 percent said that their reading decreased in the last year. 41 percent of those who reported a decline in their reading habits stated that they were too busy.

When asked about their beliefs regarding the Bible, 47 percent of teens agreed that the Bible was a source of hope. 35 percent believed it contained everything a person needed to know to live a meaningful life. 11 percent said that the Bible, the Quran and the Book of Mormon were different expressions of the same truths.

Arthur Satterwhite, senior manager of National Movements Mobilization at American Bible Society, was encouraged by the findings. "American teens sometimes get a bad rap as being uninterested or even anti-faith," said Satterwhite in a statement. "But today's Teen State of the Bible report shows that a majority of America's teens have respect for and interest in the Bible," he continued.

"Many teens are recognizing that the Bible speaks to the complete human experience — the struggles and trials and triumphs of life," said Satterwhite. "American Bible Society will continue to develop tools and resources to help teens dive into God's Word and experience its life-changing message," he added.