#WhyBible campaign highlights Bible's relevance in today's world

Jardine Malado Monday, September 05, 2016

The Wycliffe Bible Translators have launched a campaign to counter the rising skepticism of the Bible's claims among today's youth. The #WhyBible campaign hopes to convince people, especially the youth, that the Bible still plays an important role in people's lives.

There is a growing skepticism about the Bible. The #WhyBible campaign hopes to change that. | Wikimedia Commons/meneya

Scott Everhart, Wycliffe Bible Translators' senior marketing director, said the goal of the campaign is to create a forum where people can share their testimonies about how the Bible has impacted individual lives and communities.

He came up with the campaign when a millennial member of their team noticed the diminishing number of millennials in the church.

"We saw that the research reflects this â€” a growing number of Christians and especially younger believers are seeing less value in Bible-teaching and are apathetic about the Bible's ability to change lives," Everhart told the Christian Post.

The State of Bible survey conducted by Barna in May showed that the percentage of Americans who view the Bible as sacred literature dropped from 86 to 80 percent from 2010. The number of Americans who say that the Bible is not a sufficient guide for living rose from 23 to 33 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans who see the Bible as a book of teachings written by men rose from 10 to 22 percent.

The study also noted that there is a growing number of non-believers who think of the Bible as a dangerous book.

Everhart hopes that the #WhyBible campaign encourages those who have stopped reading the Bible regularly to recognize the benefits and importance of the book.

"We also hope the testimonies shared will be an encouragement for anyone who might be considering spending time in the Word for the first time," he added.

Everhart explained that the campaign will help connect people of all ages and allow young people to learn from the older generation, and vice versa.

According to Everhart, the ultimate proof of the Bible's relevance is in the life changes that take place after reading the Bible.

"#WhyBible is an opportunity for people to share their own stories of transformation, so that others can be encouraged by their testimony and exposed to the power of the Bible," he said.