Monday, October 4, 2010

The Entire Pew U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey

In a previous blog post, I discussed the results of this "Pew U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey".  Since some of you expressed an interest in taking it and since the entire survey (all 32 questions) seems to be so difficult to find online I thought I would take the time to post it here. 

So if you're interested in taking the entire survey get a pencil and paper and be prepared to keep track of your answers.  Be sure to write them down. The correct answers will be given at the end.

Ready?  Well here we go...

Question #1. Will you tell me the names of the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible, that is the Four Gospels?


This is not a multiple choice question. Write your answers down, and the correct answers will be found at the bottom of the survey.

(If you get all four correct, you get one point. If you get some of them wrong, give yourself a fraction of a point.)


#2. What is the first book of the Bible?

This is not a multiple choice question.
Please jot your answer down and go to the next question

#3. Do you happen to know the name of the holy book of Islam?

This is not a multiple choice question.
Write your answer down, and go to the next question

#4. Which one of these preachers participated in the period of religious activity known as the First Great Awakening?

A) Billy Graham
B) Jonathan Edwards
C) Charles Finney
D) Don't know

#5. What was the name of the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation?

A) Martin Luther
B) Thomas Aquinas
C) John Wesley
D) Don't know

#6. Do you happen to know what religion most people in Pakistan consider themselves?

A) Buddhist
B) Hindu
C) Muslim
D) Christian

 #7. Do you happen to know what religion most people in Indonesia consider themselves?

A) Buddhist
B) Hindu
C) Muslim
D) Christian

#8. According to rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a public school teacher permitted to offer a class comparing the world's religions?

A) Yes
B) No
C) Don't know

#9. According to rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a public school teacher permitted to read from the Bible as an example of literature?

A) Yes
B) No
C) don't know

10. Do you happen to know what religion most people in India consider themselves?

A) Buddhist
B) Hindu
C) Muslim
D) Christian

11. According to rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a public school teacher permitted to lead a class in prayer?

A) Yes
B) No
C) Don't know

12. Which of the following statements best describes what the U.S. Constitution (including amendments) says about religion?

A) Christianity should be given special emphasis by the government
B) The government shall neither establish a religion nor interfere with the practice of religion
C) The Constitution does not say anything one way or the other about religion
D) Don’t know

13. Would you tell me if Maimonides was ... ?

A) Catholic
B) Jewish
C) Buddhist
D) Mormon
E) Hindu

14. Would you tell me if Joseph Smith was ...?

A) Catholic
B) Jewish
C) Buddhist
D) Mormon
E) Hindu
F) Don't know

15. Would you tell me if the Dalai Lama is ...?

A) Catholic
B) Jewish
C) Buddhist
D) Mormon
E) Hindu
F) Don't know

16. Would you tell me if Mother Teresa was ...

A) Jewish
B) Catholic
C) Buddhist
D) Mormon
E) Hindu
F) Don't know

17. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with willingness to sacrifice his son for God?

A) Job
B) Elijah
C) Moses
E) Abraham

18. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with leading the exodus from Egypt

A) Job
B) Elijah
C) Moses
D) Abraham

19. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with remaining obedient to God despite suffering?

A) Job
B) Elijah
C) Moses
D) Abraham

20. Please tell me which of the following is NOT one of the Ten Commandments?

A) Do not commit adultery
B) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
C) Do not steal
D) Keep the Sabbath holy

21. Which of these religious groups traditionally teaches that salvation comes through faith alone?

A) Only Protestants
B) Only Catholics
C) Both Protestants and Catholics
D) Neither Protestants nor Catholics

22. Which of the following best describes Catholic teaching about the bread and wine used for Communion?

A) The bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ
B) The bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ
C) Other
D) Don't know

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

A) The Americas
B) Middle East
C) Asia
D) Don't know

24. When was the Mormon religion founded?

A) Before the year 1200 A.D.
B) Between 1200 and 1800
C) Sometime after 1800
D) Don't know

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

A) Bethlehem
B) Jericho
C) Jerusalem
D) Nazareth
E) Don’t know

26. What is an agnostic?

A) Someone who believes in God
B) Someone who does NOT believe in God
C) Someone who is unsure whether God exists
D) Don't know

27. What is an atheist?

A) Someone who believes in God
B) Someone who does NOT believe in God
C) Someone who is unsure whether God exists
D) Don't know

28. In which religion are Vishnu and Shiva central figures?

A) Islam
B) Hinduism
C) Taoism
D) Don't know

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

A) Islam
B) Buddhism
C) Hinduism
D) Don't know

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

A) Zeus
B) Mars
C) Apollo
D) Don't know

31. What is Ramadan?

A) The Hindu festival of lights
B) A Jewish day of atonement
C) The Islamic holy month
D) Don't know



And Now the Final Question! 


#32. When does the Jewish Sabbath begin?


A) Friday
B) Saturday
C) Sunday
D) Don't know



Congratulations! You've completed the Survey!!

Well, how do you think you did?
 
Are You Smarter Than an Atheist? 

That's right, according to pew researchers Agnostics and Atheists scored highest on this survey. Jews came in a very close second. 

The correct answers are as follows...

1) Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (take a quarter of a point for each correct answer)
2) Genesis
3) Quran
4) B - Jonathan Edwards
5) A - Martin Luther
6) C - Muslim
7) C - Muslim
8) A - Yes
9) A - Yes
10) B - Hindu
11) B - No
12) B - The government shall neither establish a religion nor interfere with the practice of religion
13) B - Jewish
14) D - Mormon
15) C -Buddhist
16) B -Catholic
17) E - Abraham
18) C - Moses
19) A - Job
20) B - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
21) A - Only Protestants
22) A - The bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ
23) A - The Americas
24) C - Sometime after 1800
25) A - Bethlehem
26) C - Someone who is unsure whether God exists*
27) B- Someone who does NOT believe in God*
28) B - Hinduism
29) B - Buddhism
30) A - Zeus
31) C - The Islamic holy month
32) A - Friday

* Some might disagree with Pew's characterization of atheism and agnosticism. Strictly speaking, atheism is the belief that God does not exist. Agnosticism, a term coined in 1869 by English biologist T.H. Huxley, is the belief that the existence of God is unknowable.

So Tell Me,  How Did You Do?

Be Sure to Leave a Comment below and Let Me Know.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Power of Prayer!

I'm sure most of you have heard of The Western Wall ( הכותל המערבי‎), or as The Goyim ( גוים or גויים )  Non-Jews, sometimes inappropriately call it  "The Wailing Wall" One of the most sacred sites in all of Judaism. The Wall is actually only a remnant of the original wall that once surrounded the Jewish Temple, and is located in the old city of Jerusalem at the foot of the Temple Mount  it has been a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries.


A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time.



So she went to check it out.  When she got to the Western Wall, there he was, alone and walking slowly up to the holy site.

She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview.



"Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name?

"Morris Feinberg," he replied.

"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"

"For about 60 years."

"60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"

"I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims."

"I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop."

"I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man."

"How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"

"Like I'm talking to a fu*king wall."