ThinkingBlue: Are you smarter than an Atheist?

Are you smarter than an Atheist?

Here's a challenge for you on a Sunday Morning... How will you fair? I
consider myself A-theist and did manage to score a 23... So I
fall into the category of Atheists, Agnostics, Jews and Mormons
who seem to get the highest scores in the Pew Forum on Religion
and Public Life. thinkingblue

PS: To all those out there who consider themselves "religious" and
claim the USA was founded on "Christianity" yet scored
less than 16; you might want to get yourself a little education
on the religions of the world, it may help you understand your
own and our country just a little better.

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Are you smarter than an atheist? A religious quiz

Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups in a 32-question survey of religious knowledge by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. On average, Americans got 16 of the 32 questions correct. Atheists and agnostics got an average of 20.9 correct answers. Jews (20.5)and Mormons (20.3). Protestants got 16 correct answers on average, while Catholics got 14.7 questions right.How will you do on the quiz? Write down your answers as you go.

32. When does the Jewish Sabbath begin?

A) Friday

B) Saturday

C) Sunday

D) Don't know
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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
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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
________________________________

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

A) Islam

B) Hinduism

C) Taoism

D) Don't know
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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
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26. What is an agnostic?

A) Bethlehem

B) Jericho

C) Jerusalem

D) Nazareth

E) 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
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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
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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
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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

E) Don't know
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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

E) All are in the Ten Commandments

F) Don't know
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19. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with remaining obedient to God despite suffering?

A) Job

B) Elijah

C) Moses

D) Abraham

E) Don't know
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18. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with leading the exodus from Egypt

A) Job

B) Elijah

C) Moses

D) Abraham

E) Don't know
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17. Which Bible figure is most closely associated with willingness to sacrifice his son for God?

A) Job

B) Elijah

C) Moses

E) Abraham

F) Don't know
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16. Would you tell me if Mother Teresa was...

A) Jewish

B) Catholic

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don't know
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15. Would you tell me if the Dalai Lama is ...?

A) Catholic

B) Jewish

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don't know
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14. Would you tell me if Joseph Smith was ...?

A) Catholic

B) Jewish

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don't know
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13. Would you tell me if Maimonides was ... ?

A) Catholic

B) Jewish

C) Buddhist

D) Mormon

E) Hindu

F) Don't know
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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
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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
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10. Do you happen to know what religion most people in India consider themselves?

A) Buddhist

B) Hindu

C) Muslim

D) Christian

E) Don't know
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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
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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
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7. Do you happen to know what religion most people in Indonesia consider themselves?

A) Buddhist

B) Hindu

C) Muslim

D) Christian

E) Don't know
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6. Do you happen to know what religion most people in Pakistan consider themselvers?

A) Buddhist

B) Hindu

C) Muslim

D) Christian

E) Don't know
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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
---------------------------------

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

These is not a multiple choice question.

Please jot your answer down and go to the next question.

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

Again, this is not a multiple choice question.

Write your answers down.

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

Congratulations!
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You've completed the quiz!

The correct answers are as follows:

32) A - Friday

31) C - The Islamic holy month

30) A - Zeus

29) B - Buddhism

28) B - Hinduism

27) B- Someone who does NOT believe in God

* 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.

26) C - Someone who is unsure whether God exists

25) A - Bethlehem

24) C - Sometime after 1800

23) A - The Americas

22) A - The bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ

21) A - Only Protestants

20) B - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

19) A - Job

18) C - Moses

17) E - Abraham

16) B -Catholic

15) C -Buddhist

14) D - Mormon

13) B - Jewish

12) B - The government shall neither establish a religion nor
interfere with the practice of religion

11) B - No

10) B - Hindu

9) A - Yes

8) A - Yes

7) C - Muslim

6) C - Muslim

5) A - Martin Luther

4) B - Jonathan Edwards

3) Quran

2) Genesis

1) Matthew, Mark, Luke, John