Most American Christians fail a very simple quiz on Religion.

The Pew Institute did a poll of Americans about religion, both Abrahamic and others. This short video is a discussion on CNN with two of the Pew researchers about how poorly religious folk knew about religion in general and even their own religion in particular.

 

We did this test in our church....and then did the test at a public fair.... Our church did well (we do a lot of interfaith) and our city performed a little less than average. It was a joy to find high school kids who did really well...

 

I'd need the questions to comment. Why people should know about other religions foxes me. I can't think of anyone in my circle of who would know about Maimonidies. And if you do know the name, why? And do those who know know his doctrines? I seriously doubt that.

 

I agree that Maimonidies was a very strange question to add to the mix as it is way beyond general knowledge about religion. They did state that that was one of the hardest questions on the quiz. Most of the others were much simpler. Like you, I believe it sure would have been helpful if they gave us all the questions.

Wil, you said your group took this quiz. Do you have a link to the quiz itself?

 

I believe this is the quiz: http://www.pewforum.org/quiz/u-s-religious-knowledge/.

 

That is a list of about half the questions from the telephone survey, Steve. Probably as good as we are going to get.

I scored better than 87% of the public. But then I do have an interest in the subject so guess I cannot be considered an 'average' American on this topic.

 

It twas not the same quiz we used...but had many similar questions...

You scored better than 99% of the public, below 0% and the same as 1%.
1%
0
1%
1
3%
2
6%
3
8%
4
10%
5
11%
6
11%
7
10%
8
11%
9
8%
10
7%
11
6%
12
4%
13
2%
14
1%
15
TOTAL NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED

 

The problem today is that many churches foster what might be called a cowboy theology and faith. You don't need to study church history, you don't need to study the fathers, you don't need to study doctrine, higher education is the enemy, just relax and be as anti-intellectual as you can. I know of more than one congregation where members would be hard pushed to recite more than 4 of the Ten Commandments, if that many.

 

Hello and welome. You are all too correct that in the US in particular the people follow their human leaders as if they were God. Which is the cause of very much of the insanity in religion in this country today.

 

Whether in politics or religion it appears we Americans live in blissful ignorance. Seems folks are looking for a free ride to the bank and a free ride to heaven! Geez!

 

This response is reflects the symtoms of the problem

 

I don't agree with that at all, Devils'Advocate. I find Americans are extremely critical of their leaders. I don't know how old you are. However, I am an old geezer. I was around way back when, in the 50's and early 60's, when everyone did trust our leaders and government. Today, phew, it is a wholly different picture, believe me. If you are not into some sort of conspiracy theory, you are not a member of the "in"crowd

 

You may be a bit older of a geezer than me but probably not by much. You bring up an interesting point in that now that I think about it my statement and your statement are both accurate. Even though they are opposites. A bit of clarification. People tend to follow blindly the leaders who say the 'right' words in the 'right' way. Even when those words make no sense whatsoever. Hence the Trump gonzos. At the same time, most people are unmercifully critical of anyone who is not within their own world view. Hence the inexplicable, overwhelming hatred of The Clintons by conservatives.

People 'say' they hate that Congress can not get anything done. Yet when one looks at who they vote into office over and over again, it is people who are opposed to any compromise. A majority of people say they hate the way Congress is broken, but when it is time to vote they keep the same people in office for years, if not decades. This is beyond the insanity of doing the same thing and hoping for a different result. This is doing the opposite of the desired outcome and then being flummoxed when they don't get the outcome they desired.

 

Yes, but new people do get voted in. Whenever I vote in the state election, for example, I automatically vote for all new judges. Anyhow, back to theology.

 

I am in the geezer crowd, and today I find the polarizing of religious and political views and beliefs very disturbing, and it is the choice of leaders that is the big problem and not whether they have faith in their leaders. In terms of the religious/political views it relies on blind faith in the extreme views.

 

Sad, but true.

 

You answered 15 of 15 questions correctly (100%)
Here's how you did on these 15 questions (excerpted from the larger U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey) compared with a nationally representative sample of 3,412 adults. Your responses on the quiz do NOT affect the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey's results. Read the Full Report: "U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey"
You scored better than 99% of the public, below 0% and the same as 1%.

 

Here is the full list of questions:



15. When does the Jewish Sabbath begin? Does it begin on…?

1 Friday

2 Saturday

3 Sunday

17. Is Ramadan (RAH-muh-don)…?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 The Hindu festival of lights

2 A Jewish day of atonement

3 The Islamic (is-LAHM-ik) holy month

35. Do you happen to know which of these is the king of gods in ancient Greek mythology?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Zeus

2 Mars

3 Apollo (Uh-PAHL-oh)

36. Do you happen to know the name of the holy book of Islam (is-LAHM)?

(DO NOT READ, PROMPT FOR ANSWER)

37a. Which of these religions aims at nirvana, the state of being free from suffering?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Islam (is-LAHM)

2 Buddhism

3 Hinduism

37b. In which religion are Vishnu and Shiva (SHEE-va) central figures?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Islam (is-LAHM)

2 Hinduism

3 Taoism (DOW-ism)

38 Is an (INSERT FIRST ITEM) someone who believes in God, someone who does NOT

believe in God, or someone who is unsure whether God exists?

And is an (INSERT NEXT ITEM) someone who believes in God, someone who does

NOT believe in God, or someone who is unsure whether God exists?

1 Someone who believes in God

2 Someone who does NOT believe in God

3 Someone who is unsure whether God exists

a. atheist

b. agnostic

39. What is the first book of the Bible?

40. Will you tell me the names of the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible,

that is the Four Gospels?

41. Where, according to the Bible, was Jesus born?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Bethlehem

2 Jericho

3 Jerusalem

4 Nazareth

42. When was the Mormon religion founded?

(READ LIST IN ORDER. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Before the year 1200 A.D

2 Between 1200 and 1800

3 Sometime after 1800

43. The Book of Mormon tells the story of Jesus Christ appearing to people in what area of

the world?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 The Americas

2 Middle East

3 Asia

44. Which of the following best describes Catholic teaching about the bread and wine used

for communion?

(READ LIST IN ORDER. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 The bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, or

2 The bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ

45. Which of these religious groups traditionally teaches that salvation comes through faith

alone?

(READ ROTATED OPTIONS 1-2, THEN 3, THEN 4. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Only Protestants

2 Only Catholics

3 Both (Protestants) and (Catholics)

4 Neither (Protestants) nor (Catholics)

46. Please tell me which of the following is NOT one of the Ten Commandments:

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Do not commit adultery

2 Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

3 Do not steal

4 Keep the Sabbath holy

47. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with (INSERT STATEMENT)?

Is it …?

(READ LIST)

1 Job (Jobe)

2 Elijah (uh-LIE-jah)

3 Moses

4 Abraham

a. Remaining obedient to God despite suffering

NO ITEM B

c. Leading the exodus from Egypt

d. Willingness to sacrifice his son for God

48. Would you tell me if (INSERT)...?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Catholic

2 Jewish

3 Buddhist

4 Mormon

5 Hindu

6 (DO NOT READ) Other

D (DO NOT READ) Don't know

R (DO NOT READ) Refused

a. Mother Teresa was

b. The Dalai Lama is

c. Joseph Smith was

d. Maimonides (my-MON-eh-deez) was

49. Which of the following statements best describes what the U.S. Constitution says about

religion?

(READ LIST IN ORDER. READ RESPONSE NUMBER WITH EACH ITEM IN

THE LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY. IF RESPONDENT ASKS WHETHER WE MEAN

THE CONSTITUTION AS AMENDED, SAY: Yes, what does the U.S. Constitution,

including its amendments, say about religion?)

1 Christianity should be given special emphasis by the government

2 The government shall neither establish a religion nor interfere with the practice of

religion, or

3 The Constitution does not say anything one way or the other about religion

50. According to rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a public school teacher permitted to

(READ FIRST ITEM), or not?

And is a public school teacher permitted to (NEXT ITEM), or not?

1 Yes, permitted

2 No, not permitted

a. lead a class in prayer

b. read from the Bible as an example of literature

c. offer a class comparing the world’s religions

55. Do you happen to know what religion most people in (INSERT FIRST COUNTRY)

consider themselves? Is that…?

What about (NEXT COUNTRY)?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

[INTERVIEWER INSTRUCTION: IF R SAYS "They’re divided," PROBE WITH

"Are they mostly (RE-READ LIST)?" IF STILL DIVIDED, CODE AS "5"]

1 Buddhist

2 Hindu

3 Muslim

4 Christian

5 (DO NOT READ) Divided

D (DO NOT READ) Don't know

R (DO NOT READ) Refused

a. India

b. Indonesia

NO ITEM C

d. Pakistan

60. What was the name of the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant

Reformation (ref-er-MAY-shun)?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Martin Luther

2 Thomas Aquinas (uhk-WHY-ness)

3 John Wesley

61. Which of these people developed the theory of evolution by natural selection?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Charles Darwin

2 Sigmund Freud

3 Clarence Darrow (DAH-roh)

62. And which of these court trials focused on whether evolution could be taught in public

schools?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 The Scopes trial

2 The Salem witch trials

3 Brown versus Board of Education

63. Which one of these preachers participated in the period of religious activity known as

the First Great Awakening?

(READ LIST. ENTER ONE ONLY)

1 Jonathan Edwards

2 Charles Finney

3 Billy Graham

 

I find this quite ironic, there isn't one answer...

Nirvana isn't a notion Buddha made up, it is common to all Dharmic traditions.

 

True. However, the question specifies nirvana as the state of being free from suffering, which is different from the Gita's Brahma-nirvana, and neither Jainism nor Sikhism are listed as options, so that leaves Buddhism.