How well do you know world religions?

heya,
i got 11 out of 15...12 if i'd have read better the possible answers, grrrr...

i am not an atheist but don't belong to a religion...though being religious is important to me...

thanks, interesting findings...

Hi

Got 13 out of 15. Had to guess those American questions.

RP

13 out of 15, having guessed the last one correctly. On #3, I didn't know my Ten Commandments. 😉

V

I got 13 out of 15 too. I got both of the American ones wrong!

A new study shows that many devout Americans know less about religion than do atheists...

I wonder how much that is down to a deliberate ignorance of other religious traditions? I've met Jehovah Witnesses who've never heard of Saint Francis. They're actively discouraged from finding out about other religions.

I came across this article yesterday about a boot camp that prepares children from evangelical families for missionary work...

'Just remember, the best philanthropist in the world doesn’t qualify for eternal life. That includes Gandhi and, what’s her name, Mother Teresa. Not good enough.’

What utter arrogance! The instructor is saying that he's superior to Gandhi and whatshername because he can quote from the Bible!

According to polls one in five Americans think that Barack Obama is a Muslim! The number that think that has risen since last year and the belief seems to be linked to his popularity ratings. The researchers say that the less people like him the more likely they are to think that he's a Muslim!

I do know many very intelligent Americans, but this thread reminded me of a programme in which Americans on the street were asked questions on Geography. This clip (though not from that programme) gives an idea of the some of the answers given...

Is ignorance about the religious traditions of the wider world (and the world beyond America in general) a product of the American education system? Would the average Briton on the street be any more knowledgeable? Either way, it's scary.

(I had 13 out of 15 too :))

It's some years ago now, and I forget the details. Probably those who posted are no longer active on HP. But soon after Mother Teresa or whatshername passed on, more than one right here on HP also derided her. I seem to recall it was about her being Catholic, or she didn't really do so much hard work as she travelled a lot (it was said).

How come the ignorance of many Americans? (And I am not generally at all anti-American, I see flaws where they are IMHO in any culture.) I don't think it's down to American education. I think that - American education - is just a symptom of American (generalisation coming) culture, which is insular and not so wide-ranging in perspective.

In this, the USA is not strange, but actually like most nations. We often don't realise how well-travelled, how widely-cultured, and how (that term...) multi-cultural we are in Europe. We even just plain pick a lot of things up from good newspapers and from TV documentaries of a standard other nations don't have.

Most nations in the world are insular, sadly, and have strange ideas, or a lack of knowledge, about other places. I've met a number of students here from China, who arrived expecting all the men to be wearing bowler hats and carrying black brollies....

It's unsettling all the same that America of all nations, such an important nation, should have a population that believes such things, or doesn't know such things.

Er - what was the thread topic again...?

V

That the Christian Science monitor's managment is occupied with such nonsense, proofs
again, that they surly don't understand their own religion at all.
Regards Meta

That the Christian Science monitor's managment is occupied with such nonsense, proofs
again, that they surly don't understand their own religion at all.
Regards Meta

Why do you think it's 'nonsense' to be better acquainted with the religious beliefs of others? If more people had a better understanding of the sincerely held beliefs of their neighbour, then the world would be a better place. There's nothing more important in my opinion.

I thought after I posted the link above, that perhaps the boot camp instructor didn't realise that Mother Teresa was a Christian?

That the Christian Science monitor's managment is occupied with such nonsense, proofs
again, that they surly don't understand their own religion at all.
Regards Meta

You've lost me as to what is the nonesense, Meta, that surly proofs this. Not the quiz, I take it, as that is straight-forward. From a European's perspective albeit one who's lived in the USA and hosted many US tourists, it rings very true on that nation.

Anyway, it's no doubt well-edited (is it?!) but there's fun here:
:):)

V

As all religions have little if any to do with intelligence, it be nonsense to know anything about it. All that you come aware off, is more and more ignorance. But then again, that too might have some value. One could learn Truth by studying error.
Regards Meta

As all religions have little if any to do with intelligence, it be nonsense to know anything about it.

The definition of ignorance is to be uninformed or unaware. You seem to be recommending it.

Am I so! misunderstood? amazing
Meta

Here's your theme song, Meta. Enjoy.

I wonder how much that is down to a deliberate ignorance of other religious traditions? I've met Jehovah Witnesses who've never heard of Saint Francis. They're actively discouraged from finding out about other religions....

Would the average Briton on the street be any more knowledgeable? Either way, it's scary.

My sentiments exactly Barafundle! I can't imagine many fundamentalist Christians knowing anything about Hinduism or Buddhism, though they might have learnt up about Islam in order to attack it on discussion forums! 🙁

And no, the average Briton wouldn't be more knowledgeable. Once a year, the town where I work in the CS Reading Room has a festival and we have a stall outside with a childrens' Bible quiz (with prizes of course). Questions like, "What's the 1st Commandment?" "Dunno" "What's the first book of the Bible?" etc. In fact, in the 12+ years we've been there, the only kids who got 100% were an American family! (But then, it was a Bible quiz and not an interfaith one)

Love and peace,

Judy

P.S. Venetian:

I got 12 out of 15. I'm not impressed with my own ignorance but the following was unbelievable! (edited or not!!)

Anyway, it's no doubt well-edited (is it?!) but there's fun here:
:):)

V

Here's your theme song, Meta. Enjoy.

Thank you kindly Sunanda

Well, I got 14 out of 15 - never even heard of the First Great Awakening.

Meta, humans are hard wired for spirituality - it's an evolutionary survival thing. Religious rules are based in ancient requirements for survival of the tribe - the Jewish hygiene laws, for example, grew out of a desert culture, whereas the worship of cats in ancient Egypt grew out of the need to keep rats out of grain storage collected against times of famine.

A lot of these rules are no longer appropriate for modern living, that's true, hence the move away from religion into secularisation. However, the belief that one is part of a larger plan that one may not be aware of, the move towards a more individual spirituality or connection with nature, the universe or the divine (whatever you want to call it) is still as relevant today as it always was. We humans need to feel connected, to ritualise our important events ... and we need time out from the rat race to make meaning in our lives.

Fx

Well, I got 14 out of 15 - never even heard of the First Great Awakening.

I hadn't either, but just last week, there was a discussion on some Christian forums I write on. Here's an information page for anyone who's interested.

Jonathan Edwards is the blissfully happy-looking chappie in the middle of the photo (I don't think!) 🙁

Here's a bit about him:

:014: :035:In emotionally charged sermons, all the more powerful because they were delivered extemporaneously, preachers like Jonathan Edwards evoked vivid, terrifying images of the utter corruption of human nature and the terrors awaiting the unrepentant in hell. Hence Edwards’s famous description of the sinner as a loathsome spider suspended by a slender thread over a pit of seething brimstone in his best known sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”:014: :035:

Sadly, these misconceptions of God still abound in orthodox Christianity, but they cannot remain indefinitely. The spiritual idea and understanding of God and man will break through - and it is! Mary Baker Eddy (a religious reformer, author and healer) protesteed against the belief in a God of wrath and destruction. She wrote a short book called, "The People's idea of God" this is from it:
[COLOR="Blue"]
Every step of progress is a step more spiritual. The great element of reform is not born of human wisdom; it draws not its life from human organizations; rather is it the crumbling away of material elements from reason, the translation of law back to its original language, --(divine) Mind, and the final unity between man and God...

It is the false conceptions of Spirit, based on the evidences gained from the material senses, that make a Christian only in theory, shockingly material in practice, and form its Deity out of the worst human qualities, else of wood or stone.

Such a theory has overturned empires in demoniacal contests over religion. Proportionately as the people's belief of God, in every age, has been dematerialized and unfinited has their Deity become good; no longer a personal tyrant or a molten image, but the divine Life, Truth, and Love, --Life without beginning or ending, Truth without a lapse or error, and Love universal, infinite, eternal. This more perfect idea, held constantly before the people's mind, must have a benign and elevating influence upon the character of nations as well as individuals, and will lift man ultimately to the understanding that our ideals form our characters, that as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he."... The eternal roasting amidst noxious vapors; the election of the minority to be saved and the majority to be eternally punished; the wrath of God, to be appeased by the sacrifice and torture of His favorite Son,--are some of the false beliefs that have produced sin, sickness, and death; and then would affirm that these are natural, and that Christianity and Christ-healing are preternatural; yea, that make a mysterious God and a natural devil.

Let us rejoice that the bow of omnipotence already spans the moral heavens with light, and that the more spiritual idea of good and Truth meets the old material thought like a promise upon the cloud... (Peo 1-3)

Love and peace,

Judy

I took the full quiz and got 26/32. I would say the title of the quiz as "How well do you know world religions?" is rather misleading- even if the quiz wasn't posted of the CS Monitor the Christian bias could be spotted a mile off!

Good to see you Azalia! Yes, you're right - there is a Christian bias, but then, over 80% of Americans consider themselves to be that. Also, the quiz, The US Religious Knowledge Survey, was set by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. I think the word "pew" gives us a bit hint! 😀

Interestingly, as an experiment, I put that same link into the atheist forum pages of a fundamentalist Christian website and the atheists did better than the Christians, because the Christians couldn't answer the questions about other religions - though there were not many of them!

Love and peace,

Judy

Interestingly, as an experiment, I put that same link into the atheist forum pages of a fundamentalist Christian website and the atheists did better than the Christians, because the Christians couldn't answer the questions about other religions - though there were not many of them!

This is very typical, isn't it? Not only of Christians actually, but I guess when people are utterly submerged or 'dived in' to one religion, they often feel little need to know the reality about others. Which leads to ignorance and misunderstandings. Which is why it's surely better to keep one's head above water and know at least a little about other faiths, and I'd say also the 'new religions' too.

Off-topic slightly, but on the subject of the ancient lead booklets recently found from Jordan - possibly "the greatest archeological find ever" - some headlines have been asking along the lines of "What links ancient Christianity to a mystery and Madonna?" Madonna supposedly comes in, since the main counter-argument to the booklets being very early Christian is that they are mystical Judaic i.e. Kabbalist. Hence the link in headlines to Hollywood stars. As if this modern cult they call the Kabbalah has anything to do with the ancient original!!

V

My score is 15/15 and 31/32.

Having been around comparative religions all my life (including studying it in high school and going to parochial schools) has probably helped me score that well. Plus changing my own religious beliefs twice in my life, too.

I only did the shorter version - this is a little while ago - but I got 15/15 (even where I had to guess a few of the questions related to US legislation).

As I said to a friend at the time: "Does this mean I must be an atheist???" 😀

Love to all,
Charis

i just know about indian religions only because i m from india

Cut out the Middle Man.......Go Direct

Religious fundamentalism?

There's only one thing that's fundamental to any religion,

and that's God.

😉

World Religions & the Indian Subcontinent

i just know about indian religions only because i m from india

Yes, but all world religions from this cycle of time come from the Indian Subcontinent,
or from close proximity to it;

Hinduism
Zoroastrianism (Persia/Iran)
Buddhism
Christianity (Israel/Palestine)
Islam (Arabian Peninsula)

Maybe that's why the Indian Subcontinent is known as the Holy Lands.

Yes, but all world religions from this cycle of time come from the Indian Subcontinent,
or from close proximity to it;

Hinduism
Zoroastrianism (Persia/Iran)
Buddhism
Christianity (Israel/Palestine)
Islam (Arabian Peninsula)

Maybe that's why the Indian Subcontinent is known as the Holy Lands.

Shamanism?

I've always admired the faith of the True Atheist.

I only did the shorter version - this is a little while ago - but I got 15/15 (even where I had to guess a few of the questions related to US legislation).

As I said to a friend at the time: "Does this mean I must be an atheist???" 😀

Love to all,
Charis

I've always admired the faith of the True Atheist.

Of all the different isms –
communism, christianism, socialism, buddhism,
capitalism, islam, ecologism, hinduism, and so on –
one of the strongest faiths is that of atheism.

I’ve always admired that 100% belief in absolutely nothing.
It’s resolute, and takes great courage.
And also a great leap of faith, I might add.

Because like King Canute attempting
to hold back the sea by royal command,
the true atheist has two seas to deal with
– that of spirituality, and that of science.

I’ve always admired that 100% belief in absolutely nothing.
.

Hi S.N.

What is there to be admired in an individual that believes in nothing supposed to believing in something .

x dazzle x