WND EXCLUSIVE

AMERICA NOW DIVIDED OVER BIBLE VERSES

Nation already split on party lines over global warming, Syria, abortion, 'gay marriage

Bob Unruh

The population of the United States is split now over Syria, political parties, President Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, abortion, “gay marriage,” Russia, Vladimir Putin, the Supreme Court, burning coal for fuel, clean air, clean water and the budget.

And Bible verses.

The newest addition to a long list of issues over which there is no general consensus surfaced just in the last week as the “National Bible Bee Game Show” competition was launched live on Facebook, a first for the format.

The “National Bible Bee” competition is being broadcast on the social-media network Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

The broadcast is “groundbreaking,” said Emeal Zwayne, an executive for Living Waters and a spokesman for the competition that tests students’ knowledge of the Bible and their ability to memorize scripture.

“Additionally,” he said, “it’s a perfect combination of entertainment and edification.”

The shows, 30 in the first season, cover three classes of competition and offer hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes.

“The Evidence Bible” is now available and includes, besides the King James version, dozens of articles expanding answers to questions such as why is there suffering, explanations about what Muslims believe and scientific facts written millennia before man discovered them.

They are hosted by actor Kirk Cameron, Zwayne, Hanna Leary and the Benham brothers, David and Jason.

Jason and David Benham, who are also exclusive WND columnists, call themselves “serial entrepreneurs.” While they started their “life journey … on the baseball field,” they quickly moved into the financial and real-estate industries.

“Within 10 years our real estate company topped dozens of business charts, including: Inc Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Ernst & Young, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,” their website explains.

“Because the same core principles that built the success of our first company are universal we began expanding our boundaries. From financial services to information technology our business value propositions continue to grow both domestically and internationally.”

Online, one of their website categories is “missioneering,” specifically a “strategic attempt to create self-sustaining revenue for overseas missions through entrepreneurial endeavors.”

In an interview with WND on Monday, after the show’s launch last week, Jason Benham said there was “vitriol from hell” aimed at the kids participating.

Describing the reaction to the competition, he said there were two responses.

From the community of faith, he said, there was “overwhelmingly great support.”

But from others, he said, came the vitriol.

“There were trolls making fun of the kids,” David Benham added. “Calling them names. Poking at and making fun of these kids. That’s the new face of diversity, tolerance and inclusion [in America].”

The Benhams joined the production effort for several reasons, including that Zwayne invited them. The work fits into their schedule, and they enjoy it.

It’s the culmination of the the National Bible Bee program, which already has involved thousands of children memorizing sometimes nearly 1,000 verses from the Bible.

The verses teach, David said, the ability to understand and know wisdom.

“I think one of the problems [today] is that kids don’t have a biblical world view. They don’t have the proper lenses,” Jason said.

The Bible Bee provides that, he said.

David pointed out that early American education centered around the Bible. The “New England Primer” used Bible references to teach the alphabet: “A is for Adam.”

Learning facts alone doesn’t lead “to wisdom and character.”

“We believe that’s what the Bible would bring,” he said.

The goals of the outreach already are being met, the popular business leaders, speakers, writers and others said.

It’s because of the many people who have reached out to the Bible Bee since it’s game show launch.

The work of The Bible Bee, Jason said, “has already begun to spread.”

Zwayne, an executive for Living Waters and a spokesman for the competition, described it as “a perfect combination of entertainment and edification.”

Zwayne said both students and adults can sign up for the program.

“The goal really is to encourage young people in their efforts to understand God’s Word and to inspire them to internalize it, and then to impact their lives,” he said.

Just like choosing between the Ten Commandments as a life standard or John Belushi’s on-screen utterings.

He pointed out just 16 percent of churchgoers read the Bible regularly, and 25 percent never read it.

Eighty percent say they are knowledgeable of the Bible, but fewer than half can name the first five books.

That all points to a “huge problem with biblical literacy” across America.

Thus, the goal to memorize, internalize and then live it out.

The broadcast is on Facebook Live, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesdays.

“The Evidence Bible” is now available and includes, besides the King James version, dozens of articles expanding answers to questions such as why is there suffering, explanations about what Muslims believe and scientific facts written millennia before man discovered them.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2017/04/america-now-divided-over-bible-verses/#00VjH3xwj0SGTjxq.99