The power of Christianity today is as it was centuries ago

It's interesting to see how the experiences and impressions we are given at a young age influence, and at times dictate, how we think and live our lives. So it comes as little surprise that a recent Pew Survey on religious knowledge found that many Americans--especially Christians--are not very astute about their own faith or other world religions. Simply put, many are not aware of the fundamentals behind their chosen religion.

Of the 32 questions in this survey, American respondents on average got 16 of them correct, for a grade of 50 percent. Christians, who represent the dominant religion in the United States, faired rather poorly in comparison with atheists, agnostics, and Jews. Predictably, this survey has critics of religion--especially those who chastise the Christian right movement--casting Christians as ignorant, uneducated simpletons.