Despite the trust people have in the relevance and accuracy of their Bible, they have trouble reading it. Over half of adults trust that the Bible is more likely to get the facts correct than a history book or the local newspaper, but two-thirds of people find their local newspaper easier to read than the Bible. Respondents chose the Story of Creation and Joseph s Dreams as Bible stories that are difficult to read and understand. While more than 80 percent of them agree that the language of the Bible can be confusing, they validate that modern translations make the Bible easier to use and understand. Americans feel strongly about the Bible s crucial role in early years to develop sound values, but no single Bible can meet everyone s needs.
More people feel the Bible can have the greatest impact on children.
Adults feel that the Bible can provide children a framework for understanding the difference between right and wrong. The children s Bible market has flourished in the last decade to meet the demands of parents looking for ways to pass on and instill strong values in their children in a changing culture. Children s religious products are one of the fastest growing publishing categories sales of children s religious products increased 22 percent between 1997 and 1998. People buy kids Bibles for many reasons and each Bible may have a different purpose within a household. In fact, the average household has seven to nine Bibles, according to Zondervan.