Sometimes dumb sounds cute: Sixty percent of Americans can't name five of the Ten Commandments, and 50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married. In a recent USA Today article, Stephen Prothero, chairman of the religion department at Boston University says Americans' deep ignorance of world religions- their own, their neighbors' or the combatants in Iraq, Darfur or Kashmir- is dangerous. His new book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know- and Doesn't, argues that everyone needs to grasp Bible basics, as well as the core beliefs, stories, symbols and heroes of other faiths. Scholars and theologians who agree with him say Americans' woeful level of religious illiteracy damages more than democracy. "If you want to be involved, you need to know what they're saying. We're doomed if we don't understand what motivates the beliefs and behaviors of the rest of the world. We can't outsource this to demagogues, pundits and preachers with a political agenda" says Prothero. His solution is to require middle-schoolers to take a course in world religions and high schoolers to take one on the Bible. Biblical knowledge also should be melded into history and literature courses where relevant. He wants all college undergrads to take at least one course in religious studies. And for time-pressed adults he suggests that they sample holy books and history texts. What do you think? Is it important to have the knowledge of Bible basics and core principles of other faiths? Should students be required to learn these subjects in school?