May I please direct your attention to the hilarious results of a new Pew Research study that quizzed over 3,412 Americans about various religions. Who scored the best? Atheists and agnostics, followed by Jews and Mormons. The average people of all Christian faiths lagged a bit behind.
More than four-in-ten Catholics in the United States (45%) do not know that their church teaches that the bread and wine used in Communion do not merely symbolize but actually become the body and blood of Christ. About half of Protestants (53%) cannot correctly identify Martin Luther as the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation, which made their religion a separate branch of Christianity. Roughly four-in-ten Jews (43%) do not recognize that Maimonides, one of the most venerated rabbis in history, was Jewish.
In addition, fewer than half of Americans (47%) know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist. Fewer than four-in-ten (38%) correctly associate Vishnu and Shiva with Hinduism. And only about a quarter of all Americans (27%) correctly answer that most people in Indonesia — the country with the world’s largest Muslim population — are Muslims. You can
You can take the quiz yourself here. I scored a 14 out of 15… better than 97 percent of Americans. Even though, as I learned last week, I’m going to Hell.
I didn’t know the question about First Great Awakening. What the hell is that supposed to be?
80%. I probably don’t know much about religions because they bore me to tears.
45% of Catholics don’t understand transubstantiation! The single most important ritual in the church!
53% of protestants don’t know that Martin Luther initiated the reformation!
Humph. No surprises there.
15/15.. I did better than 99% of people. That is just sad.
“A thorough reading and understanding of the Bible is the surest path to atheism”—Donald Morgan
“or not reading or understanding the bible”—w9gMhnc4YRjBKdu_FF2ZkqcNwQcORt3FiMzi3kZ1zv7gk7qE_
Graham – that’s the one I missed! I guess it’s not Billy Graham or the guy I chose whose name I’ve already forgotten.
HOLY HELL!!! Hispanic Catholics don’t know shit about religion according to this.
I got #10 wrong. I realize it’s the South, but schools in the county where I grew up are breaking all kinds of laws.
13/15
and what Donald Morgan said.
Even better factoid. There are over 600 commandments – we just got the CliffNotes version. Woe unto him who starts jawing about their religion in mine presence for thine ass shall be forthwith handed unto thee.
Wasn’t The First Great Awakening what the Master was trying to do in the first season of Buffy?
Nonetheless, I somehow got 100%, and, yup, I’m an atheist.
These were pretty easy questions, I got them all right.
14/15! I’m now Rabbi TSW!
14/15. I also missed the last one about the First Great Awakening.
btw, devout agnostic here.
My perfect score vindicates atheism. That is totally how this works!
87%. Haven’t been to a church in 12 years.
I know nothing about religion and scored 14/15. What’s this awakening business?
And what were the two questions by which she determined you’re going to hell?
And the second “Great Awakening” was when Principal Snyder and the Scoobys beat the holy mortal crap out of the Mayor’s snake transubstantiation (dreadful special effect, there Joss!) at Sunnydale’s final graduation.
Eight years of Catholic catechism plus a bit of scholastic theology works well too: 15/15.
I thought Jonathan Edwards was that dude who talked to ghosts. I went to church a couple of times with friends when I was a kid: 80%.
Snake mayor was an awesome character.
15 for 15. Better than 99% of Americans… and why I’m an atheist.
15/15, yep. Atheist ftw.
JRenaud,
She asked if I’d “ever had lustful thoughts for a man.” Whoops!