NONE Of The Jeopardy! Contestants Knew The First Line Of The Lord’s Prayer
This speaks volumes not only about where we are in society, but why we are where we are in society. I knew we had become a godless society (or it might be more accurate to say that we simply have a multitude of disgusting idols which we now worship instead). But I guess I hadn’t realized just how absent God really is now. On a show intended to showcase the genius and immense knowledge of its contestants, 3 recent Jeopardy! contestants had absolutely no idea what fairly recognizable word was missing from the first line of the Lord’s Prayer. The clue read, “Our Father which art in heaven”, this “be thy name.” The word in question is, of course, hallowed. Hallowed be thy name. Yet not one of the three contestants had any idea what that missing word might be.
The Lords Prayer is quite literally one of the most historically iconic short-form pieces of written or spoken prose. It is both a fundamental religions statement and practice for many billions of people in the world today and across centuries of our world’s history. It is one of the most famous utterances of one of the most famous historical figures in recorded history. And yet, not a single one of these young geniuses knew even the first phrase. God, Jesus, and the Bible apparently don’t make their list of things important enough to learn about.
What does that tell you about how far we have fallen?
Keep Reading
Join the Conversation
Share your perspective and reply to other readers.
Create your account
Create your free Chicks on the Right account without leaving this article.
Welcome back
Log in and continue the conversation on this page.
9 Comments
How is it possible that three presumably well-educated people couldn’t complete this famous sentence found in the Bible?? I think the guy from India can be forgiven because he grew up in India’s Hindu society. I cannot forgive the others.
Believer, agnostic or atheist, how can anybody be educated in this country and grow to adult-hood without hearing this prayer somewhere along the line? I’m baffled by that.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s where we are in today’s world. It’s a shame it had to be revealed on one of the most popular shows on TV.
On the other hand, I bet the contestants could wax poetic about intersectionality for hours.
My husband and I were talking about this after it happened. Yes, we are Jeopardy! nerds. I’ve tried out in person, and online a couple of times, but I have humongous gaps in my knowledge (sports for one) that always get me. LOL. Anyway, hubby said he could give the champion a pass because he was probably Hindu or maybe Buddhist, but the other two? How does somebody grow up in America today and never have heard the Lord’s Prayer? It’s a sad (and ridiculous) commentary on society today. And, as you said, Natalie, a sad commentary on why society is the way it is today.
It’s worth noting that children aren’t allowed to read the Bible in some government schools, but borderline pornographic books are foisted upon them.
We have become a nation of biblical illiterates who can’t define the word “woman”.
What??? How could they not have know that? Have they never seen any of the bajillion movies mentioning it? TV? Books? Just general culture?
That’s the thing, though. It *isn’t* part of our general culture anymore. It is, in fact, a taboo in our general culture now.
In the 1958 movie, “A Night To Remember”, Titanic’s survivors in lifeboats can be heard, simultaneously saying The Lord’s Prayer in different languages just as the Titanic sunk beneath the waves. If you ever watch it, be sure to have a box of Kleenex on hand during the scene of a cellist singing “Nearer My God To Thee” while playing. This is a stark contrast to The Lord’s name being taken in vain, as seen in 1997’s “Titanic”. The 1953 “Titanic” movie, starring Barbara Stanwyck is good, too.
Every one of the people in the pic look to be 30ish. That is plenty of time to be around before the post-2010 sprint toward insanity.