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SALT LAKE CITY -- A recent poll shows most Americans believe in the Bible.
In the Gallup survey conducted on May 5-8, nearly 80 percent of those questioned said they believe the Bible to be either the actual word of God or the inspired word of God.
The survey asked: "Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your views about the Bible:
- The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word
- The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally
- The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man"
Thirty percent said it is the literal word of God. Another 49 percent said it's inspired but shouldn't be taken literally. And 17 percent viewed it as a book of fables.
The results are similar to what Gallup has measured over the last two decades, but down from the 1970s and 1980s.
CNS News reports belief in the Bible has risen with unemployment.
CNS compared Gallup's poll numbers to labor statistics and found belief in the Bible hit a 35-year low in May 2008 when unemployment was at 5.4 percent, but has begun to rebound over the past three years as unemployment has climbed to over 9 percent.
Get details of the Gallup poll here.
