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Agnostics, atheists, Jews, Mormons score highest on religious questions

scooby

By scooby
in Miscellaneous

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noel00 Rising Star

noel00

Posted
Posted

I got 14 out of 15. I got the one about prayer in schools wrong. Being australian, I am not conversant with American obsessions about religion in schools, but I suppose since we started as a convict colony that explains it. :P

Alexx Rookie

Alexx

Posted
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12 out of 15. I wasn't sure about the US supreme court rulings and i got the last one about the New Awakening wrong. It is, however, not surprising to me that Mormons are among the most religious educated people. I have met many people from all kinds of Christian and Non-Christian believes and the amount of time and joy Mormons put into scripture study and learning is unprecedented.

Libs Mentor

Libs

Posted
Posted

15/15

That was actually a pretty easy test.

(I am Evangelical - formerly LDS)

44Foxtrot Newbie

44Foxtrot

Posted
Posted

14/15

Missed the last question.

Had a 50/50 chance and blew it.

I am a scientist and former Mormon who is now an "extremely low probability" agnostic.

changed Veteran

changed

Posted
Posted

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/092810dnmetpewstudy.2a19a12.html

"A new survey of Americans shows that atheists and agnostics rank with Jews and Mormons as the top-performing groups in religious knowledge."

So, why do atheists take such a keen interest in religious knowledge?

LOL - just proves, you can leave the church, but you can't leave the church alone...

I mean, I don't believe in paganism, and therefore I don't read a whole lot about it, don't know much about their religious writings (except they believe in a female diety)... Why would anyone read about/study/know things about a subject that they claim they don't care about / don't believe in? .... o well.

Ralph Man Rising Star

Ralph Man

Posted
Posted

So, why do atheists take such a keen interest in religious knowledge?

LOL - just proves, you can leave the church, but you can't leave the church alone...

I mean, I don't believe in paganism, and therefore I don't read a whole lot about it, don't know much about their religious writings (except they believe in a female diety)... Why would read about/study/know things about a subject that.... o well.

And if atheists scored at the bottom of this religious knowledge survey, we then could say that the only reason they reject religion is because they haven't taken the time to study and understand it. Apologetics is fun sometimes.

I think there is at least one significant flaw in this line reasoning, though. Many atheists were at one time religious. That might have something to do with why they know something about religions.

That said, from what I can tell these are general knowledge questions that just take some basic cultural awareness to successfully answer. To keep with your analogy, while you might not have studied paganism in detail, you probably should know that Poseidon is the Olympic god of the seas.

mercyngrace Veteran

mercyngrace

Posted
Posted

Must be a lot of people taking the quiz this morning because it kept locking up on me.

15/15. My 6th grader could answer those questions. Those were very basic. Of course, I knew the Supreme Court questions because I was a teacher - that helped :P

mercyngrace Veteran

mercyngrace

Posted
Posted

14/15

Missed the last question.

Had a 50/50 chance and blew it.

I am a scientist and former Mormon who is now an "extremely low probability" agnostic.

Did you have to read "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in high school? We read it as part of early American literature.

John Larsen Contributor

John Larsen

Posted
Posted

So, why do atheists take such a keen interest in religious knowledge?

LOL - just proves, you can leave the church, but you can't leave the church alone...

I mean, I don't believe in paganism, and therefore I don't read a whole lot about it, don't know much about their religious writings (except they believe in a female diety)... Why would anyone read about/study/know things about a subject that they claim they don't care about / don't believe in? .... o well.

It is likely that their interest and study in religion is what turned them into atheists in the first place. Atheism also seems to skew higher for more intelligence. It might simply be that more intelligent people are more curious about the world around them.

Lastly "don't care about" and "don't believe in" are two entirely separate things.

Walden Proficient

Walden

Posted
Posted

So, why do atheists take such a keen interest in religious knowledge?

LOL - just proves, you can leave the church, but you can't leave the church alone...

I mean, I don't believe in paganism, and therefore I don't read a whole lot about it, don't know much about their religious writings (except they believe in a female diety)... Why would anyone read about/study/know things about a subject that they claim they don't care about / don't believe in? .... o well.

I know that it might go against the standard LDS response that those who leave the church do so because they just can't live up to the standards, but the truth is that many of us left the church after thoughtful study of the LDS church, specifically, and religion in general. If you had been born into paganism and taught throughout your youth that paganism was the only philospohy that held all the keys to truth and eternal bliss, then you might take more of an interest in studying and learning about paganism than you presently have done. Your study of paganism may even increase if you were to consider leaving that philosophy, despite the pleadings from your pagan parents, siblings, local pagan membership, etc. Many of us were heavily invested in the LDS church, and the decision to leave generally is not a light one, but done after much study of the facts, traditions, myths, stories, rituals and mysteries that surround the LDS faith.

If you were to leave the LDS church, would you do so without much study? Would that study be taken lightly given the consequences of the decision?

changed Veteran

changed

Posted
Posted

I know that it might go against the standard LDS response that those who leave the church do so because they just can't live up to the standards, but the truth is that many of us left the church after thoughtful study of the LDS church, specifically, and religion in general. If you had been born into paganism and taught throughout your youth that paganism was the only philospohy that held all the keys to truth and eternal bliss, then you might take more of an interest in studying and learning about paganism than you presently have done. Your study of paganism may even increase if you were to consider leaving that philosophy, despite the pleadings from your pagan parents, siblings, local pagan membership, etc. Many of us were heavily invested in the LDS church, and the decision to leave generally is not a light one, but done after much study of the facts, traditions, myths, stories, rituals and mysteries that surround the LDS faith.

If you were to leave the LDS church, would you do so without much study? Would that study be taken lightly given the consequences of the decision?

I am a convert, am not following in the footsteps of my parents, and joined the church after meeting with / studying with many different religious groups from all over the world. Yes, many members grew up in the church, the premortal spirits are placed in families that they agree with, I needed the experience of life with and without the church, and that is what I got.

The difference for the LDS faith, is that the Spirit is real - members have spiritual experiences here, that is why I am a member, not through books/theological arguments - but because of a spiritual experience, and continued spiritual experiences....

I don't know that all members have had spiritual experiences, but for those who have, leaving is not about study - it's about going against what the Spirit testified to them is true because they disagree with God about something. There is a big difference between knowing something is true, and knowing where you fit into the big picture, ... difference between knowing God is real, and actually likeing/agreeing with God - knowing that He is loving... once someone has had a genuine spiritual experience, it's a whole new ballpark.

maupayman Apprentice

maupayman

Posted
Posted

So, why do atheists take such a keen interest in religious knowledge?

LOL - just proves, you can leave the church, but you can't leave the church alone...

I mean, I don't believe in paganism, and therefore I don't read a whole lot about it, don't know much about their religious writings (except they believe in a female diety)... Why would anyone read about/study/know things about a subject that they claim they don't care about / don't believe in? .... o well.

Maybe reading more about these things is what drove them to agnosticism and atheism.

changed Veteran

changed

Posted
Posted

Maybe reading more about these things is what drove them to agnosticism and atheism.

and for Jews and Mormons?

Mormons like to read... but we gain our testimony through spiritual experiences, rather than through books...

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