About 30% of Americans Are Biblical Literalists or Inerrantists.

[MineralMan]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_literalism

A 2011 Gallup survey reports, "Three in 10 Americans interpret the Bible literally, saying it is the actual word of God. That is similar to what Gallup has measured over the last two decades, but down from the 1970s and 1980s. A 49% plurality of Americans say the Bible is the inspired word of God but that it should not be taken literally, consistently the most common view in Gallup's nearly 40-year history of this question. Another 17% consider the Bible an ancient book of stories recorded by man.

It's interesting that 30% also appears to be the floor for supporters of Donald J. Trump. Although polling goes up and down with regard to Donald Trump, it has never dropped below that 30% level. I propose that the two groups are the same. Those who can believe that the Bible is literally true, despite contradictions and errors in its current forms, can also, apparently believe that Donald Trump speaks the truth at all times.

I suspect that another thing is true: That 30% has never either read the Bible in its entirety nor actually fact-checked Trump. Instead, that 30% relies on what is told to them by others about both. In the religious case, they listen to fundamentalist pastors. In the second case, they watch Fox News. In both cases, their belief is not based on actual individual initiative, but on reliance on questionable sources.

If I am right, and the two groups are the same, then there is absolutely no point in trying to convince them to change their viewpoints in either case. Instead, we should focus on others who are not locked into listening to people who tell them lies.

That's my opinion on both religion and politics and their intersection this morning.

[Pope George Ringo II]

1. Definitely some overlap here.

If you could reason with Trump supporters, there wouldn't be Trump supporters.
If you could reason with religious people...

[yallerdawg]

2. "Biblical literalists" are wedge-issue conservatives.

Abortion and same-sex marriage are weaponized political tools.

"Trump" is just a name associated with their ideology this go 'round.

They don't even care what HE really thinks!

[True Dough]

3. Both groups could be described as...

[Nitram]

4. It seems to me they cherry-pick the same time-worn conservative bits and ignore the mercy,

charity, and social justice bits.

[MineralMan]

5. Well, all religious belief systems pick and choose what to do.

It's a buffet line, not a table service meal.

[bobbieinok]

6. Biblical inerrancy was developed to support slavery- see slacktivist at patheos series of posts

[MineralMan]

7. And many other things, as well.

It can support many things, like subjugation of women, opposing LGBTQ rights, and much much more. It has been and will be used to support much intolerance and hatred.

[Voltaire2]

8. Youre wrong about their having read the Bible.

Many fundamentalists are biblically literate.

[MineralMan]

9. Some are, no doubt. But not most of them.

I've asked many individuals about that over the years. Typically, they know some passages that interest them, but are ignorant of the rest of it. Even some pastors, actually, that I've met have only a fragmentary knowledge of scripture. They know what is important to them, but the rest is of little interest.

One really only has to look at what the readings are from an individual church over the year. Even weekly Bible study classes focus on only portions of the Bible. Which portions depend on the particular denomination and focus of an individual church's mission.

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. The numbers don't support that.

http://www.pewforum.org/2010/09/28/u-s-religious-knowledge-survey/

Of the polled Christian denominations White Evangelicals and Mormons know their Bible better than anyone else.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. No doubt all, absolutely all, are authoritarian.

Authoritarianism is the ultimate underpinning of both religious belief and conservativism. No questioning The Big Guy !

[Mariana]

12. Of course they are.

The fundies' concept of God is the ultimate authoritarian figure. It makes sense that they would want the government to be highly authoritarian as well - as long as the government isn't persecuting them.