Basic Religion Test Stumps Many Americans

originally posted by: JDmOKI
a reply to: Klassified

The title of the video is incredibly offensive.

I'm wondering what the questions were. The bible can be quite convoluted with dates and lineage, battles etc.

If someone wrote the bible today and tried to publish it they'd get heaps of rejection slips. It's terrible story telling, makes no sense what so ever, and littered with rediculious phrases.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: the2ofusr1

I agree with this. Without actually seeing the question and how they were constructed, it's hard to say anything about the survey. But there are so many differing interpretations of scripture.

Exactly, and for a book that is supposedly divinely inspired; you would think it would be a little more clear with out all the contradictions, obscure parables and left up to Bible scholars to tell us what it "really" means...

Is it any wonder that people are confused about Basic religion....the instruction manual isn't written for them to actually understand.

Why were muslims excluded from that survey?

Why were muslims excluded from that survey?

a reply to: ketsuko
Here's the link to the survey. It's about half way down the page of the Pew link I posted, but everyone seems to be missing it...
Survey

I'll post it in the OP at the bottom as well.

originally posted by: ISeekTruth101
Why were muslims excluded from that survey?

Maybe they didn't feel they were a large enough group in America to survey? Or maybe they didn't find any to survey? Good question.

a reply to: Klassified

The questions were EZ PZ. I just took it as a general knowledge quiz and scored 15 of 15. Took less than a minute.
Again, general knowledge.

But is knowledge about what we believe necessary when in the case of religion it comes down to faith in what we believe.
I think there is faith and there is blind faith, and blind faith is the child of faith itself.

a reply to: Klassified

First off, I scored 93%. I only missed the Great Awakening question.

But secondly, this assumes that a person has a broad based knowledge of multiple religions, not just one or two. It also assumes you know something about US Government as it asks about SCOTUS rulings in a general way.

I know when I was taking confirmation class in Sunday school. I was taught more in-depth knowledge of my particular sect of Christianity and not anything about what Catholicism believes about communion, for example. I only know about the Jewish Sabbath because I have a recipe in my binder that alludes to it - Chicken Tebit (tasty, I recommend it). I know about Ramadan because the Islamic calendar "floats" compared to the standard one, so it appears at very different times throughout the year (important proofer knowledge).

I study my SCOTUS rulings in order to answer things on the "webz" or else I wouldn't know those two.

And I know Buddhism and Hinduism because I have a modicum of curiosity about other faith traditions. Although if high schools had a comparative religions class, most people would have at least a chance of picking those up.

I am also not sure what knowing any of this has to do with a deep knowledge of a person's faith?

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: the2ofusr1

I agree with this. Without actually seeing the question and how they were constructed, it's hard to say anything about the survey. But there are so many differing interpretations of scripture.

Exactly, and for a book that is supposedly divinely inspired; you would think it would be a little more clear with out all the contradictions, obscure parables and left up to Bible scholars to tell us what it "really" means...

Is it any wonder that people are confused about Basic religion....the instruction manual isn't written for them to actually understand.

For someone in the movie industry, you seem to have an awful dislike of interpretive media.

Look, Jesus told a teaching parable and people are discussing all the different possible themes and meanings!

Olaru, How dare they! It is simply too difficult for them to understand ... *then runs off to help make movies which also sometimes require interpretation on the part of the viewer to derive full appreciation*

originally posted by: JDmOKI
a reply to: NihilistSanta

I agree, many atheists like to refute the historical evidence, passage of time, science of the religion. I know I never payed attention in church as a kid....

Anyone can go to church not everyone goes to college

mores the pity, as they say.

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: JDmOKI
a reply to: NihilistSanta

I agree, many atheists like to refute the historical evidence, passage of time, science of the religion. I know I never payed attention in church as a kid....

Anyone can go to church not everyone goes to college

mores the pity, as they say.

Yeah, it's a true pity that so many dodge being saddled with a mortgage in debt before they even get their first serious job.

Whatever else church is, it doesn't do that ... unless you are talking about scientology or something similar where someone tells you to buy your way to whatever heaven they preach.

The questions are very easy on one level and do not really go far into subjects so if you have a very superficial knowledge that is not deep you can answer them.

I wonder if what would happen if people where asking spiritual experiences instead:

1 Have you ever experienced a miracle/synchronicity?
2 Have you ever feel energized body state/state of loving bliss from unknown source?
3 Have you ever got information from unknown source that helps you out?

I would have been interested in those answers.

a reply to: NihilistSanta

There are also Volcanoes and this little thing called the Sun. You presume that because someone does not hold your view that they are somehow ignorant and are not familiar with other ideas. This is a great example of the things from my second reply to OP. This is no different than a religious persons claims as to why you may or may not believe. In the end it is belief

Mmm. Mm hmm. *tries*

NO

Global Warming and Climate Change are not "views" - they are scientifically established truths.

And let me ask you this: If you explored atheism and agnosticism (an endeavor which I whole-heartedly applaud) as well as other religious belief systems (again: well done, you!) , how on EARTH did you "come back to" Jesus? Did you not discover in your searches and earnest investigation that ALL of the world's 'masters' (who are actually known and proven to have existed) have taught the exact same thing?

Treat others the way you want to be treated.
I just don't get the switch-over ----- from skeptical learner BACK to canned "Christianity" ---- really?
How do you account for all the others who we are sure actually lived?

a reply to: Klassified

Didn't we do this a few years ago?
Anyway - hiya.

S/F

EDIT: The only one I 'missed' was the beginning of the Sabbath. I said Saturday. It's Friday. Oh well.

a reply to: ketsuko

i would rather be in debt than be an ignoramus.

a reply to: ketsuko

I only missed the Great Awakening question.

That's a shame. It was part of the Enlightenment.
Sorry you missed it.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: the2ofusr1

I agree with this. Without actually seeing the question and how they were constructed, it's hard to say anything about the survey. But there are so many differing interpretations of scripture.

Exactly, and for a book that is supposedly divinely inspired; you would think it would be a little more clear with out all the contradictions, obscure parables and left up to Bible scholars to tell us what it "really" means...

Is it any wonder that people are confused about Basic religion....the instruction manual isn't written for them to actually understand.

For someone in the movie industry, you seem to have an awful dislike of interpretive media.

Look, Jesus told a teaching parable and people are discussing all the different possible themes and meanings!

Olaru, How dare they! It is simply too difficult for them to understand ... *then runs off to help make movies which also sometimes require interpretation on the part of the viewer to derive full appreciation*

Oh, I get it....

The bible is divinely inspired interpretive media. Great concept...so sin isn't really sin, it's open to interpretation.
You do realize this is just semantic BS on your part. Iv'e noticed that it's gotten to be a big part of your MO.

originally posted by: Klassified
Many also delved into it before they were atheists/agnostics. Either as a Christian, like myself, or just trying to decide what they believed, if anything. Though I don't discount the debunking part of your statement, either. I personally learned what I know because I was a devout Christian for decades.

That's me. I was immersed in it from the cradle and I really loved learning about it. I started asking "uncomfortable" questions by the time I was 4-5. As Silverman said, being an atheist is is an effect of my knowledge, not an indication that I lack knowledge.

I looked at several of the questions and I think I'd score pretty high.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Mostly based on experiences that happened to me. That was what led me to reevaluate my position and reexamine the reasons why I felt that way. This combined with a view of why the world is in the state that it is and the philosophical motivations of those who oppose humanity (the elite etc).

As to your question about other religious figures I answered this when we discussed my experiences with the Baha'i Faith and how there are too many contradictions among the messages that leads me to believe they did not emanate from the same source. Again it boils down to my own experiences which can not be easily explained.

a reply to: NihilistSanta

Mostly based on experiences that happened to me. That was what led me to reevaluate my position and reexamine the reasons why I felt that way.

Okay. Just wondered.

Thanks for your response.

This combined with a view of why the world is in the state that it is

The world is in the 'state that it is' because of social inequity. Because some people feel they don't have to share. Religion is also very much a part of it - but a secondary problem; a scapegoat (he he - a religious imagining, much like unicorns), if you will. The world is in shambles - and it is NOT for want of 'religious' types. What, of 7 billion people.....how many are 'Abrahamic faith followers'? WAY more than half.

I assure you, no matter what 'belief system' you have decided to don so as to lark about joyfully, that the man called "Jesus" as portrayed in the Bible did NOT want things to be the way they are now. But then again - it's doubtful that he even existed. Nevertheless - his message is not "unique."