By Christy Barritt

The State of the Bible in 2015

The American Bible Society released its annual State of the Bible survey. According to the results, 72 percent of Americans mistakenly believe that the Bible has already been translated into all of the earth’s languages. In reality, the Bible has yet to be translated into 57 percent of first languages worldwide. The breakdown between perception and reality is perhaps why only 1 in 5 Americans recognize the need for Bible translation.

The survey also found that 88 percent of American households own at least one Bible, and the majority own three or four. Additionally, 60 percent of Americans said they desired to read the Bible more. 

More than 2,000 people were interviewed for the survey.

Life-Size Noah’s Ark on Track to Open in 2016

Creation Museum CEO and President Ken Ham said his latest project—a life-size Noah’s Ark—is still on track to open despite false information that’s been circulating.

The attraction has already begun being built at its Kentucky site, 40 minutes from where Ham’s Creation Museum is located. Rumors surfaced that the project had encountered many obstacles, including funding and regulation problems.

The Ark Encounter is billed as a one-of-a-kind historically themed attraction. It will include various entertaining and educational events centered on a full-size, all-wood ark, which should become the largest timber-frame structure in the U.S.

Additional future phases for the attraction include a walled city, the Tower of Babel, a first-century Middle Eastern village, a journey in history from Abraham to the parting of the Red Sea, a walk-through aviary, and a large petting zoo. Their website (www.arkencounter.com) provides updates on the project.

Sheriff Bans Sex Offenders from Local Churches

A North Carolina sheriff has banned sex offenders from churches in the Graham County part of the state. In a statement, Sheriff Danny Millsaps cited laws that prohibited registered sex offenders from being near schools and daycare centers. He said the same laws will apply to churches where children are often present. 

“This is an effort to protect the citizens and the children of the community of Graham,” he wrote in the Asheville Citizen-Times. He went on to suggest that sex offenders who were interested in attending church could go to services at the county jail.

Many claimed that sex offenders’ right to religion was being violated with this new mandate. The county attorney is currently looking into the issue.

Payment Preferences Vary with Age

The Federal Reserve Bank put together a study asking people to keep a diary of their spending. One of the most surprising revelations they found was that young adults (ages 18-24) reported using cash significantly more than their elders.

Researchers said it was possible that some younger consumers prefer cash because of limited access to banking and other financial products and services, in part due to typically lower incomes in early adulthood. Older consumers, on the other hand, were more likely to prefer credit cards and checks than younger adults. The much higher percentage of adults over 65 who prefer credit cards is also likely correlated with income. 

Researchers found that virtually no consumers younger than 35 preferred checks. Nearly 8 percent of those older than 65 preferred checks however. This difference is believed to exist because of payment habits that were established in early and mid-adulthood for older generations.

Christy Barritt is an award-winning author in Chesapeake, Virginia. She and her husband, Scott, have two sons (christybarritt.com).