# People who attended Sunday school as children: Were you required to memorize the books of the Bible **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099 "2018-04-25T14:19:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/61 "2018-04-26T16:31:49Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > No, I don’t remember the song. No bonus points for me! I finally looked it up. It was (duh) [Jesus Loves Me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfi3JRR1Nfc) Of course, we sang it a capella, because instrumentals lead to dancing. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/62 "2018-04-27T05:57:01Z")
No, no memorization whatsoever. We tried various Protestant churches until my father finally said to hell with it and decided to sleep in on Sundays. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/63 "2018-04-27T07:57:49Z")
Not from an especially religious family, in a not especially religious country, so we didn’t really do anything all that devout with any passion. My memory of Sunday School for the maybe three years I attended before we abandoned the whole idea was colouring in pictures of Noah’s Ark, or David and Goliath. And I don’t really remember that very clearly. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/64 "2018-04-28T15:08:02Z")
I went to a Unitarian Sunday school. What do _you_ think? “Bible? What’s that?” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/65 "2018-04-28T16:44:18Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > Catholic Sunday School was called Cathecism. We never had to memorize a single bible verse! We had to memorize prayers and the sacraments. I guess we mostly were told ABOUT the different bible verses in more of a story fashion. That’s my experience, too, although I attended Catholic Schools for most of elementary. Only went to Catechism classes when I was at a “Protestant School”-- aka, Public School, but I had it in my mind that if wasn’t a Catholic School, it must be a Protestant School :). We didn’t real deal that much with the OT except for some of the stories like Noah’s Flood, Moses and of course the Garden of Eden story. I’m not even sure I was aware that there were different books of the OT in my early years. But, we sure knew there were 4 Gospels and who the Evangelists were, and we knew the difference between an Apostle and a Disciple. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/66 "2018-04-28T17:36:06Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > Catholic; didn’t go to Sunday school but went to CCD classes (aka Catechism classes) for 12 years. > It’s shocking how little the Bible played in my CCD classes. There may have not been a single time we actually opened a Bible and started reading. Remember learning a lot of prayers, how to treat others (usually a wordier version of “be nice”), and learning to be an altar boy. Which, considering the devout Catholics I was raised around, actually makes sense; I rarely saw them read the Bible, praying and genuflecting to statues was what they did. I could have said the exact same thing. Except for the Altar Boy part. There were no instructions in what everything meant; we just knew we were supposed to do certain things. By high school my baloney detector was quite active, so I didn’t stay in the RCC. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/67 "2018-04-28T23:46:20Z")
I can only add in that my experience in being brought up Catholic is practically identical to the other Catholics who have reported. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/68 "2018-04-29T00:58:04Z")
No. Catholic. I didn’t read it until university theology classes. I was an altar server, too. (I didn’t realize that was unusual for a girl in the 80s until much later.) I also have a weird memory of the René Auberjonois character on Benson (whose name escapes me) winning some bet because he could recite the books of the Bible. I remember thinking I could probably do that, then being surprised when he started and there were books I didn’t know. That made me go look at the Bible we had on the bookshelf and at least read the names of all of the books. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/69 "2018-04-29T02:40:30Z")
Baptist (un-southern). Encouraged, not required. Learning verses was just normal. Like learning multiplication, but less stressful. Learning the names and order of the books was (1) because people ask you. And (2) because when you’re a kid, everyone knows more than you. You’re constantly running to catch up. I still know all my multiplication tables, and some of my bible verses. The books and order… less so. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/70 "2018-04-29T12:50:32Z")
Midwestern United Methodist in my childhood, made to go to Sunday School until I left home. Don’t remember memorizing verses with the exception of the “biggies” like John 3:16. The first time a kid recited all the chapters of the Bible I remember thinking it was actually pretty weird. They did try to get us to do it, but the first five or seven books and the Gospels was all the time I cared to commit. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/71 "2018-04-29T17:51:15Z")
Are we all recalling the scene in _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_? (I last read this over 50 years ago, so I may be wrong on some of the particulars.)The kids would get slips of colored paper for memorizing Bible verses, like white for five, yellow for ten, green for twenty, etc. But being kids, they would trade them among themselves for marbles and other stuff. Eventually Tom collects enough slips to “prove” he’s memorized the entire Bible. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/72 "2018-04-29T17:57:58Z")
Southern Baptist here; I remember the Bible drills. It definitely made us more competitive to learn the books in order. I don’t remember any adult ever attaching much importance to it, though. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/73 "2018-04-29T17:59:23Z")
Missed the edit window: checking Spark notes, I see I got it a little wrong: Tom collects enough slips to win a prize: a copy of the Bible. Only one very studious child has previously accomplished the feat, so Tom claiming the prize causes a hubbub. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/74 "2018-04-30T03:23:31Z")
I attended a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We had a song for the books of the New Testament, but weren’t told we had to memorize it. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/75 "2018-04-30T04:47:13Z")
Southern Baptist. Not required, but encouraged. I can still name the minor prophets in order because of the song we learned. Which is the same tune as part of the “Hail to the Bus Driver” song. Start with the part that goes “he drinks and he cusses, he wrecks all the buses”. Instead it’s Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obediah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk. Ok, now the next part goes back to "hall to the Bus Driver, bus diver man: Zepheniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/76 "2018-05-01T01:09:07Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Are we all recalling the scene in _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_? (I last read this over 50 years ago, so I may be wrong on some of the particulars.)The kids would get slips of colored paper for memorizing Bible verses, like white for five, yellow for ten, green for twenty, etc. But being kids, they would trade them among themselves for marbles and other stuff. Eventually Tom collects enough slips to “prove” he’s memorized the entire Bible. 50 years ago, we still got prizes for verse memorization 🙂 Though we didn’t use tickets. But due to the fallen price of printing and publishing, earning a bible wasn’t exceptionally difficult in the 1960’s. (Besides, the text was already out of copyright). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/77 "2018-05-01T05:05:44Z")
I know in Muslim countries, Koran-memorization contests are very popular. Often broadcast on radio or TV. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/78 "2018-05-01T05:31:17Z")
There was this thing called Bible Quiz where memorization was a big thing, and I sucked at it. I’ve never been good at memorizing, but more on learning from the broad strokes inward. Anyways, it involved memorizing a lot of stuff and answering questions, becoming part of a competition between quizzers in other churches. We did do memory verses, but you only had to remember them at most one week, and usually just that one “service.” That wasn’t hard. I did eventually get taught some special verses to lead someone to salvation, but it was in a pocket New Testament, and you bookmarked and highlighted them to get to them easily. Memorizing wasn’t required, as you would show the text to the person in question, as proof you weren’t just making it up. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/79 "2018-05-01T05:42:12Z")
We did not memorize the books and their order. Later as an adult in bible study, I learned them, the 66 books in the Protestant bible. As a Sunday School teacher (5th & 6th grades) I carved out 5 minutes per class to help my kids memorize them. But it’s neither required nor is it a part of our regular SS lessons. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099/80 "2018-05-01T10:39:00Z")
I attended Catholic schools for 12 years. We weren’t required to memorize Bible passages. Heck, I don’t even recall reading the Bible - we read Catholic educational materials and did worksheets. The only thing we were required to do was feel guilty all the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-attended-sunday-school-as-children-were-you-required-to-memorize-the-books-of-the-bible/813099.md?page=3)