View Full Version : Americans tested on religion
I found the results surprising...
America is one of the most religious nations on Earth, but a new poll finds that many Americans struggle to answer basic questions about faith, even their own.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the results of a survey today that tested respondents on 32 questions about a variety of faiths. The questions ranged in complexity from the name of the Islamic holy book to the century that the Mormon religion was founded. Americans, on average, got only 16 answers right.
Americans Quizzed on Religion
Here's a few of the questions:
Can you name the four gospels?
If you said, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you're among only 45 percent of Americans who got it right.
Click here to take the Pew's "Religious Knowledge Quiz."
Another question: Is the Golden Rule one of the Ten Commandments?
If you said no, you're among 55 percent of Americans who got it right.
The results of the survey showed that those who knew the most about Christianity were Mormons. They averaged eight correct answers out of the 12 that were asked about the Christian faith. White Evangelicals were second in their knowledge of Christianity according to the study.
Atheists Knew Most About Religion
Agnostics and atheists did particularly well on questions about world religions like what religion is the Dalai Lama and the meaning of Ramadan. Overall, atheists and agnostics answered the most questions correctly, an average of 21 right answers.
Jews and Mormons on average answered 20 questions correctly. Protestants averaged 16 right answers and Catholics knew less than half of the correct answers.
http://abcnews.go.com/m/screen?id=11748799
revelarts
09-28-2010, 08:48 PM
Results of these test are always pretty sad.
I took it and missed 2 where they said I'd miss, on other religions.
But one thing about one of their other generalizations. I know much more now as an "evangelical" than when I was an Agnostic. I would have brought that average down a bit.
PostmodernProphet
09-28-2010, 09:03 PM
those who consider themselves religious because their parents had them baptized and they remember what corner the church is that they used to go to, probably don't score well on the test.......
/shrugs....
You answered 15 out of 15 questions correctly
for a score of 100%.
those who consider themselves religious because their parents had them baptized and they remember what corner the church is that they used to go to, probably don't score well on the test.......
/shrugs....
Indeed, but those are the people that'll claim to be religious when asked, which makes you wonder how many Americans are as religious as they say when asked in surveys.
revelarts
09-28-2010, 09:42 PM
based on my experience, i'd say many are not as religious as folks in other countries think they are.
It seems a lot of religious people in the U.S. are more culturally religious than real adherents to a distinct faith. the ritual and basic concepts that are "in the air" are accepted but ask them the details of what they really believe and you'll probably find that they'll hedge and you won't get any particular orthodoxy. Then ask the same folks how many times they read the horoscopes, or believe in luck, or ghost and such. Then you'll get a broader picture of the depth of faith in a lot a people in the U.S.. However in a time of crisis many will turn instinctively and hard for help in God and prayer.
SassyLady
09-29-2010, 12:25 AM
based on my experience, i'd say many are not as religious as folks in other countries think they are.
It seems a lot of religious people in the U.S. are more culturally religious than real adherents to a distinct faith. the ritual and basic concepts that are "in the air" are accepted but ask them the details of what they really believe and you'll probably find that they'll hedge and you won't get any particular orthodoxy. Then ask the same folks how many times they read the horoscopes, or believe in luck, or ghost and such. Then you'll get a broader picture of the depth of faith in a lot a people in the U.S.. However in a time of crisis many will turn instinctively and hard for help in God and prayer.
This is so true. I don't consider myself religious, but God is in my life all the time. And, it doesn't have to be a major crisis for me to converse with God ... sometimes I'm just in awe of something and instinctively give credit to God.
PostmodernProphet
09-29-2010, 07:04 AM
Indeed, but those are the people that'll claim to be religious when asked, which makes you wonder how many Americans are as religious as they say when asked in surveys.
I think it's far less than claim it......I seem to recall, however, that you believe anyone who SAYS he's religious should be deemed religious, no matter how many people he kills.....
I think it's far less than claim it......I seem to recall, however, that you believe anyone who SAYS he's religious should be deemed religious, no matter how many people he kills.....
How many people you kill is nothing to do about if you are religious or not.
Nukeman
09-29-2010, 07:30 AM
Well I scored 13 right out of 15 for a 80%. Not too bad for someone who does not consider themselves "religious". I can't believe the low scores of some these are pretty much "common knowledge" questions..
KarlMarx
09-29-2010, 11:45 AM
93%... not bad for a Catholic! :)
13/15
The only two I wasn't sure about, and so I assume were the ones I got wrong were on the US Supreme Court rulings.
Kathianne
09-29-2010, 01:30 PM
You answered 15 out of 15 questions correctly
for a score of 100%.
Kathianne
09-29-2010, 01:31 PM
13/15
The only two I wasn't sure about, and so I assume were the ones I got wrong were on the US Supreme Court rulings.
Why assume? The answers followed the score.
There was nothing on that test that I didn't teach in comparative religions. Not one thing and that was to 6th graders.
PostmodernProphet
09-29-2010, 01:41 PM
How many people you kill is nothing to do about if you are religious or not.
really?.....so you believe a person can SAY he's believer in a religion that prohibits murder, yet can murder at will and still be taken at his word?.......
would the same be true of other beliefs?.....for example, if a person says he is an atheist, yet says to you "I believe in Allah!" do you still consider him to be an atheist?......
PostmodernProphet
09-29-2010, 01:43 PM
teach in comparative religions
lol.....you were a ringer!....not fair.......
really?.....so you believe a person can SAY he's believer in a religion that prohibits murder, yet can murder at will and still be taken at his word?.......
would the same be true of other beliefs?.....for example, if a person says he is an atheist, yet says to you "I believe in Allah!" do you still consider him to be an atheist?......
Ofcourse they can, heck, do you think that anyone that steals is not a Christian or Jew?
And no, atheist means not believing in a god, so it would be impossible to be both. However it is quiet possible to believe in Yaweh and covet an ass or two, no?
Abbey Marie
09-29-2010, 02:43 PM
Indeed, but those are the people that'll claim to be religious when asked, which makes you wonder how many Americans are as religious as they say when asked in surveys.
Not really surprising, after decades of the ACLU and others' attempts to make Christianity and the Bible dirty words.
Abbey Marie
09-29-2010, 02:47 PM
You answered 14 out of 15 questions correctly
for a score of 93%.
(I got the Nirvana one wrong. I knew that one, I just had a brain freeze).
Not really surprising, after decades of the ACLU and others' attempts to make Christianity and the Bible dirty words.
Why would that mean that a) self professed religious people don't know allot about their religion and b) the group that knew most where the atheist/agnostics?
Why assume? The answers followed the score.
There was nothing on that test that I didn't teach in comparative religions. Not one thing and that was to 6th graders.
Ah, fairplay I didn't see that, just got my score and left the site, I knew there was inky two I was unsure about so when I got to the end and two where wrong I wasn't surprised.
Kathianne
09-29-2010, 03:13 PM
Ah, fairplay I didn't see that, just got my score and left the site, I knew there was inky two I was unsure about so when I got to the end and two where wrong I wasn't surprised.
all you had to do was scroll down a bit, but never mind that.
The questions were basic, nothing that any person shouldn't have known. I find it hard to believe that atheists/agnostics did so much better, other than they actually read more about religion than most. Which to my way of thinking is sort of strange.
Abbey Marie
09-29-2010, 03:14 PM
Why would that mean that a) self professed religious people don't know allot about their religion and b) the group that knew most where the atheist/agnostics?
a) Due to the steady turning away from religion in this country, caused by anti-Christian law suits and a general moral decline in the media, people aren't really learning the foundations of their religion. Main Line Protestants are becoming quite liberal, and rely less and less on Bible teachings. Raised Catholic myself, I never saw or heard much at all about the OT. And all the Jews I know today are only "culturally" Jewish.
b) Perhaps Atheists are boning up to argue against religion. Much like you are doing here.
a) Due to the steady turning away from religion in this country, caused by anti-Christian laws suits and a general moral decline in the media, people aren't really learning the foundations of their religion. Main Line Protestants are becoming quite liberal, and rely less and less on Bible teachings. Raised Catholic myself, I never saw or heard much at all about the OT. And all the Jews I know today are only "culturally" Jewish.
b) Perhaps Atheists are boning up to argue against religion. Much like you are doing here.
a) i still find it surprising that people who identify themselves as religious know so litle about their faith, no matter what's going on with lawsuits, I mean, 55% of people not knowing Matthew, Mark, Luke and John =/
b) Probably true, but I would still of expected the religious to of done better.
PostmodernProphet
09-29-2010, 06:13 PM
Ofcourse they can, heck, do you think that anyone that steals is not a Christian or Jew?
And no, atheist means not believing in a god, so it would be impossible to be both. However it is quiet possible to believe in Yaweh and covet an ass or two, no?
this may surprise you, but I look differently upon a shoplifter and someone who blows up school buses full of children......
this may surprise you, but I look differently upon a shoplifter and someone who blows up school buses full of children......
But they are both doing things that are *against* their religious teachings, now your saying some of those things make them non-religious and others don't? Where do you draw the line? Did you just make it up?
PostmodernProphet
09-29-2010, 06:22 PM
/hesitates to explain it to Noir for fear he cannot do it civilly....
bullypulpit
10-10-2010, 07:16 AM
http://0.tqn.com/d/atheism/1/7/_/7/3/Word-of-God.jpg
/hesitates to explain it to Noir for fear he cannot do it civilly....
Lawl, that's te best you can do?
Murder and stealing are both against the 10 commandments, however, you think commitin one makes you a non-Christian and the other simply a bad one?
PostmodernProphet
10-10-2010, 09:10 AM
Lawl, that's te best you can do?
Murder and stealing are both against the 10 commandments, however, you think commitin one makes you a non-Christian and the other simply a bad one?
how many children do you estimate someone has to kill before you think he is really a bad person?......
how many children do you estimate someone has to kill before you think he is really a bad person?......
One. Not that that has anything to do with what you said.
Which was..."really?.....so you believe a person can SAY he's believer in a religion that prohibits murder, yet can murder at will and still be taken at his word?"
Now, do you believe a person can say he's a believer in a religion that prohibits stealing, yet can steal at will and still be taken at his word?
PostmodernProphet
10-10-2010, 04:02 PM
One. Not that that has anything to do with what you said.
Which was..."really?.....so you believe a person can SAY he's believer in a religion that prohibits murder, yet can murder at will and still be taken at his word?"
Now, do you believe a person can say he's a believer in a religion that prohibits stealing, yet can steal at will and still be taken at his word?
how many candy bars does a kid have to steal before you think he's as bad as a man who murders one child?....if he murders thirty kids setting off a bomb on a schoolbus, is he as bad as someone who steals thirty times as many candybars?.......
now, you meet two men.....one says to you, I have stolen thirty candy bars.......the other says, I have murdered thirty children......both tell you they are Christians.....which one do you believe....
how many candy bars does a kid have to steal before you think he's as bad as a man who murders one child?....if he murders thirty kids setting off a bomb on a schoolbus, is he as bad as someone who steals thirty times as many candybars?.......
now, you meet two men.....one says to you, I have stolen thirty candy bars.......the other says, I have murdered thirty children......both tell you they are Christians.....which one do you believe....
Both are Christian.
I can't see how you could think otherwise, given that especially in Christianity you can be forgiven any sin. Unless your saying that a man who murders thirty children can never be forgiven by god...
PostmodernProphet
10-10-2010, 06:00 PM
Both are Christian.
I can't see how you could think otherwise, given that especially in Christianity you can be forgiven any sin. Unless your saying that a man who murders thirty children can never be forgiven by god...
forgiveness must be preceded by repentance......besides, being forgiven by God doesn't equal being forgiven by humanity.....we've had people executed who may well be in heaven.....
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