Americans know the Big Mac better than the 10 commandments

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Oct 16th 2007 11:00AM

Can you name all the 10 commandments? I sure can't, but seeing that I didn't grow up in a religious family, my only real exposure to them was the movie of the same name (and I fell asleep watching it.) Don't worry -- I do have a point here. Recent studies show that Americans are more proficient at naming the ingredients in a Big Mac and naming the members of the Brady Bunch better than they are at naming the 10 commandments.

Surprising? I don't think so. But even though I'm not a church-goer, this news is a bit disconcerting. Is this to say that we know fast food and TV better than we know basic morals and ethics? Or is it just a reflection of the fact the Religion isn't as big a institution in our society as it once was? What do you think?

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Chris 10-16-2007 @ 3:15PM

I don't think that "Keep the Sabbath" and "Thou shalt not worship other gods before me" (what other gods?) count as basic morals and ethics. A recent study shows that the younger generation is becoming disillusioned with and hostile towards Christianity, not through a "passing fad" or through a lack of awareness of Christianity, but because of personal experiences. I'm bitter myself, mainly because I grew up spouting Young Earth and Creationism arguments, and wasn't aware until I was 22 how much I'd been lied to.

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=280

Your study shows the power of advertising-- something that the companies believe is worth the billions of dollars they spend towards a "non-productive" endeavor (it doesn't make iPods, nor does it make iPods better). This is why we don't let our kid watch TV, nor do we buy "branded" toys or clothes. At the age of 2, he already asks for "Starbucks" and "Thomas the Train" and goodness-knows-how "MacDonalds", though he has never been to one.

Schera 10-16-2007 @ 7:33PM

I know it's not one of one of the ten commandments but isn't gluttony one of the seven sins? You wouldn't know it to look at some of those evangelicals....