Answer

(third of three on America's Blessings)

It occurs to me that some might think that this (yesterday's post) is just bragging. Why talk about the benefits of a church-going population? Because elites and intellectuals have mocked and denigrated Christianity for many decades - the very people who write books and teach in universities. Teachers are trained there, and then they train the next generation.

As an example: back in 1964 Richard Hofstadter received the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, in which "he argued that a preference for ignorance is inherent in American Christianity," p.147.

Author Rodney Stark has access to the sociological data which shows that ignorance is not a trademark of religious people - plus the data which answers many other incorrect assumptions. So he publishes the data for people who actually want to know the facts rather than just react.

He corrects misinformation and brings answers to light, the job of scholars.