A majority of Americans believe many well-known Bible stories, including Moses parting the Red Sea and God creating the world in six days, are true, according to the findings of an ABC News poll released Sunday.
Although most Americans believed the story of Noah and the flood word-for-word, a large majority rejected the suggestion that Jews bear the collective responsibility for the death of Jesus, the poll found.
The poll's findings were released a day before the network airs its interview with movie-star Mel Gibson, whose film, "The Passion of Christ," depicts the last 12 hours of Jesus' life on earth.
The film has been criticised by some Jewish leaders for its depictions of Jews and some scenes portraying Jews in the film have been edited out ahead of its public release.
Gibson, who belongs to an ultra-conservative Catholic group, poured 25 million dollars of his own money into making the film, which he directed.
"While religious belief is a strong factor in a literal reading of the Bible, it plays far less of a role in views of collective responsibility for Christ's death," the poll found.
Overall, sixty-four percent of those canvassed believed the story of Moses parting the Red Sea was "literally true, meaning it happened that way word-for-word."
Sixty-one percent felt the same way about creation while 60 percent believed in the story of Noah and the flood.
About three in 10 said each of the Biblical stories was meant to serve as a lesson, but should "not to be taken literally."
Religious belief and frequency of practice were two key factors driving people's belief. Literal belief peaked among evangelical Protestants, according to the poll's findings.
About eight in 10 adult Americans are Christians.
Gibons' film is due to be released Feb 25. The poll was conducted Feb 6-10, it canvassed 1,011 adults and had a margin of error of three percent.