Three “Jeopardy!” contestants found themselves being stumped by what many on social media are calling an “easy” answer to a familiar Bible passage. The situation occurred on the June 13 released episode when host Mayim Bialik read a $200 question (typically considered the easiest question) with the clue “Matthew 6:9 says, ‘Our Father, which art in heaven, [THIS] be thy name.” None of the three contestants- Suresh Krishnan, Laura Blyler and Joe Seibert- made an attempt to answer the question, with the answer being “hallowed.” The Lord’s Prayer, as the passage is called, is one of the most widely recited prayers from the Bible. 

Soon after the contestants failed to answer the question, social media erupted with criticism. Franklin Graham, son of well-known evangelist Billy Graham and president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, took to Twitter to lament the moment. “Twitter erupted with [“Jeopardy!”] fans who were surprised that 3 smart contestants were unable to fill in the blank with a word from the Lord’s Prayer,” Graham wrote. “We have lost so much Biblical literacy & basic awareness of the things of God’s Word. This moving away from Biblical values will equal double jeopardy for our nation.” Media personality and political commentator Jon Root shared a clip of the contestants along with a link to “Got Questions” to share the significance of the passage. Root has made headlines recently for calling on Christians to boycott the popular series “The Chosen” after a gay pride flag was seen in one of its promotional videos. Root also recently spoke at an event boycotting Dodger Stadium for honoring The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag group accused of being anti-Christian. Others on social media have been questioning whether or not “Jeopardy!” uses too many Bible questions. “While not my fave either, the Bible and religion are legit categories. I agree, though; it seems like they get more than their fair share of clues,” wrote one user on a Reddit thread. 

Scripture engagement has been steadily declining in the U.S. over the last few years. The American Bible Society’s (ABS) 2023 State of the Bible survey found that only 18% of U.S. adults are engaged with Scripture, meaning the Bible impacts their daily life. In 2020, 27% of Americans were Scripture engaged. However, some numbers are showing that more Americans are showing interest in the Bible. According to the ABS, the “movable middle,” or those who could go either Scripture engaged or disengaged, were more curious about the Bible. “The Movable Middle is awash in curiosity, with more than two-thirds (68 percent) ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ curious and only a smidgen (3 percent) not curious at all. Granted, there’s a difference between wondering and actively searching, but this is a start. Curiosity is a growth platform for Bible ministry in the U.S.,” the study concluded.