Reading the Holy Bible is an essential part of being a Christian for it brings someone to a full understanding of the Word of God. In a humble city in Tennessee, residents are setting the example to the rest of America and the world on the importance of reading the Holy Bible.
Chattanooga reclaimed its title as the most "Bible-minded" city in the United States last year, after slipping to second place in the previous year.
This is the fourth time that the city of Chattanooga has been recognised for its residents' Bible-reading habits. It held the title as the most "Bible-minded" American city for three consecutive years—from 2011 to 2013.
The study was conducted by the Barna Group in partnership with the American Bible Society. Some 65,064 adults were interviewed for the study.
The study defines "Bible-minded" as someone who typically reads the Holy Scripture at least once a week, and who asserts the accuracy of Bible teachings. It was conducted to explore America's largest 100 media markets.
More than half of Chattanooga residents, or 52 percent, met these criteria of being "Bible-minded," the highest percentage among all American cities.
In second place were the cities of Birmingham, Anniston and Tuscaloosa in Alabama, where 51 percent of residents were considered Bible-minded. These cities were in first place in 2014.
The cities of Roanoke and Lynchburg in Virginia ranked third, while the city of Shreveport in Louisiana ranked fourth.
Aside from Chattanooga, two other cities in Tennessee made it to the top of the list: Tri-Cities ranking in fifth place and Knoxville taking eighth place.
Andrew Hood, managing director of communications at American Bible Society, explained that the first five cities have consistently been on top of the most "Bible-minded" list for the past years.
"We continually seek opportunities to support local churches across America by equipping leaders to help people encounter the life-changing message of the Bible. We commend local pastors who encourage congregants to read the Bible regularly," Hood told Charisma News.
It is also worth noting that all 10 cities on top of the list are located in the southern part of the U.S.
In contrast, the least Bible-minded cities are predominantly in the Northeast. These include Albany, Troy and Schenectady in New York, where only 10 percent of residents were identified as Bible-minded.
