|
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
 Posted - 03/28/2008 : 13:25:04
|
The author of a new book dispelling myths about the founding fathers of the United States was interviewed recently a couple times on NPR. The book is "Founding Faith" and the author is journalist Steven Waldman. Here's a link to "Speaking of Faith's" show with him:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/liberating_the_founders/index.shtml
He also founded a website called beliefnet.org. I liked most of what he said in his interview, so I checked out the website and found a bunch of quizzes on religion, some of which were interesting.
http://www.beliefnet.com/features/quiz/index.html
When I took the "Belief-O-Matic" quiz I was rather unsurprised to score 100% Secular Humanism, but surprised that my score also put me as having more in common with Neo-Pagans and Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants than with Taoism or Reform Judaism.
Another quiz, "What's Your Spiritual Type" had this question that I thought was somewhat enlightening:
Q2. When I think about issues of faith or spirituality, my foremost concern is:
1. A sense of connection to something larger than myself
2. A rational understanding of whether religious claims are valid
3. A personal relationship with God
4. A framework of morality and hope |
My immediate answer was #4., which I think is a point of contention with many of my fellow atheists who would answer #2.
Here's another one from that quiz that atheists would certainly disagree on: Q6. I think prayer is:
1. Heard by God or angels, and for many people God or angels responds
2. Heard but no answer should be expected
3. Worthless
4. Best understood as a form of meditation or moral awareness |
I put down #4., though I'm sure Dan Barker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (and composer of the song "Nothing Fails Like Prayer") would answer #3. I almost answered #3, but then I remembered how I used to talk to the constellation Orion after I lost faith in the supernatural (I knew I was talking to a bunch of stars, I didn't think I was talking to anybody listening), and how today I utilize other methods for "meditation or moral awareness" either through art, talking to myself, writing, etc.
The funniest thing about the spirituality quiz for me personally was the score evaluations. The lowest scores rated "Hardcore Skeptic". I rated the next thing up from that which was "Spiritual Dabbler, open to spiritual matters, but far from impressed." The label for the highest scores was simply "Candidate for Clergy." Guess they don't know about the Humanist Society.
Anybody else find anything interesting taking these quizzes?
|
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
Edited by - marfknox on 03/28/2008 13:25:30
|
|
|
Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26031 Posts |
|
|
Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9696 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2008 : 03:39:37 [Permalink]
|
Belief-o-matic Results:
The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.
Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.
How did the Belief-O-Matic do? Discuss your results on our message boards.
1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Secular Humanism (95%)
3. Liberal Quakers (81%)
4. Theravada Buddhism (76%)
5. Neo-Pagan (73%)
6. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (69%)
7. Nontheist (67%)
8. New Age (60%)
9. Reform Judaism (54%)
10. Mahayana Buddhism (50%)
11. Taoism (47%)
12. Orthodox Quaker (45%)
13. Sikhism (39%)
14. Bahá'í Faith (37%)
15. Jainism (37%)
16. Scientology (36%)
17. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (32%)
18. New Thought (32%)
19. Hinduism (27%)
20. Orthodox Judaism (26%)
21. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (26%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (26%)
23. Seventh Day Adventist (25%)
24. Islam (24%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (19%)
26. Roman Catholic (19%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (15%)
|
Edited formatting.
|
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 03/29/2008 15:04:55 |
 |
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 03/30/2008 : 12:07:47 [Permalink]
|
Dunno what happened: Quiz: What's Your Spiritual Type?
You scored 95, on a scale of 25 to 100. Here's how to interpret your score:
25 - 29
Hardcore Skeptic -- but interested or you wouldn't be here!
30 - 39
Spiritual Dabbler -- Open to spiritual matters but far from impressed
40 - 49
Active Spiritual Seeker – Spiritual but turned off by organized religion
50 - 59
Spiritual Straddler – One foot in traditional religion, one foot in free-form spirituality
60 - 69
Old-fashioned Seeker -- Happy with my religion but searching for the right expression of it
70 - 79
Questioning Believer – You have doubts about the particulars but not the Big Stuff
80 - 89
Confident Believer – You have little doubt you’ve found the right path
90 - 100
Candidate for Clergy
|
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
|
|
|
|
Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 19:30:14 [Permalink]
|
A real "well, duh" moment.
Your Results:
The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.
Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.
How did the Belief-O-Matic do? Discuss your results on our message boards.
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. Sikhism (93%)
3. Liberal Quakers (84%)
4. Unitarian Universalism (82%)
5. Hinduism (77%)
6. New Age (76%)
7. Bahá'í Faith (72%)
8. Jainism (70%)
9. Orthodox Judaism (69%)
10. Reform Judaism (67%)
11. Mahayana Buddhism (64%)
12. Islam (52%)
13. Orthodox Quaker (52%)
14. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (49%)
15. Secular Humanism (49%)
16. Theravada Buddhism (49%)
17. Taoism (48%)
18. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (46%)
19. Seventh Day Adventist (38%)
20. Eastern Orthodox (35%)
21. Roman Catholic (35%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (34%)
23. Scientology (34%)
24. Nontheist (32%)
25. Jehovah's Witness (29%)
26. New Thought (27%)
27. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (20%)
|
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
|
|
|
Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 19:31:16 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by filthy
Dunno what happened: Quiz: What's Your Spiritual Type?
You scored 95, on a scale of 25 to 100. Here's how to interpret your score:
25 - 29
Hardcore Skeptic -- but interested or you wouldn't be here!
30 - 39
Spiritual Dabbler -- Open to spiritual matters but far from impressed
40 - 49
Active Spiritual Seeker – Spiritual but turned off by organized religion
50 - 59
Spiritual Straddler – One foot in traditional religion, one foot in free-form spirituality
60 - 69
Old-fashioned Seeker -- Happy with my religion but searching for the right expression of it
70 - 79
Questioning Believer – You have doubts about the particulars but not the Big Stuff
80 - 89
Confident Believer – You have little doubt you’ve found the right path
90 - 100
Candidate for Clergy
|
|
You have to click on the link to Belief-o-matic, not the spiritual type test, filthy.
|
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
|
|
|
Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13481 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 21:16:38 [Permalink]
|
1. Secular Humanism (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (92%)
3. Nontheist (80%)
4. Liberal Quakers (72%)
5. Theravada Buddhism (64%)
6. Neo-Pagan (61%)
7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (57%)
8. Taoism (47%)
9. New Age (43%)
10. Reform Judaism (41%)
11. Mahayana Buddhism (31%)
12. Orthodox Quaker (30%)
13. Bahá'í Faith (25%)
14. Sikhism (25%)
15. Scientology (24%)
16. New Thought (21%)
17. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (20%)
18. Jainism (17%)
19. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (15%)
20. Seventh Day Adventist (15%)
21. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (14%)
22. Eastern Orthodox (12%)
23. Islam (12%)
24. Orthodox Judaism (12%)
25. Roman Catholic (12%)
26. Hinduism (7%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (0%) |
|
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
|
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 02:52:49 [Permalink]
|
Ok, I've tried it again but I didn't do so well this time:
1. Secular Humanism (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (92%)
3. Nontheist (83%)
4. Liberal Quakers (73%)
5. Theravada Buddhism (65%)
6. Neo-Pagan (65%)
7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (61%)
8. Taoism (52%)
9. Reform Judaism (47%)
10. New Age (45%)
11. Bahá'í Faith (35%)
12. Orthodox Quaker (35%)
13. Sikhism (35%)
14. Mahayana Buddhism (32%)
15. Scientology (32%)
16. New Thought (29%)
17. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (28%)
18. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (23%)
19. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (23%)
20. Eastern Orthodox (18%)
21. Islam (18%)
22. Jainism (18%)
23. Orthodox Judaism (18%)
24. Roman Catholic (18%)
25. Seventh Day Adventist (14%)
26. Hinduism (7%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (0%)
I guess this means that I can't be a Candidate for Clergy any more. 
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
|
|
|
|
BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 05:09:26 [Permalink]
|
I feel so unrepresented, at least Im very far away from Scientology.
I scored SH/TB/NT/UU as tops, though I dont feel connected with the Secular Humanist set. Too many times I had to choose the lesser of two answers I didnt quite like. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
|
|
|
dglas
Skeptic Friend
Canada
397 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 11:57:38 [Permalink]
|
Let us try to remember that the "Belief-O-Matic" allows one to equivocate "belief" at will. When I did it, I got the typical results, but also a significant percentage of "Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants" despite that I want nothing to do with entirely private realms nor with concepts of self involving intrinsic evil. Unfortunately these distinctions didn't make the criteria cut, so the poll misrepresented me.
I am Jack's sense of intrinsic evil.
The spirituality quiz is just so incredibly off-the-wall, over-the-top biased I cannot even answer most of the questions. Here's some alternate endings...
Q1. I believe that God:
5. Is an excuse to exclude on the basis of hateful fictional-hero worship.
Q2. When I think about issues of faith or spirituality, my foremost concern is:
5. That our humanity is being hijacked by mysticism.
Q3. I believe the scripture I know best (the Bible, the Koran, etc.) is:
5. A book.
Q4. Which of these statements comes closest to expressing your most basic view regarding faith?
5. Faith is retreating from reality.
Q5. I believe that the universe we observe:
3. Is completely natural and has no higher aspect
(This one they give an answer I can live with, although there's that believe word again...)
Q6. I think prayer is:
5. A myopic, desperate clutch at personal efficacy coupled with lack of work ethic.
Q7. I think that following life:
5. Life goes on, without me. Singing: "Cuz I ain't got nobody. Sad & lonely, Sad & lonely."
Q8. Evil is present in the world because:
5. What is this evil you speak of?
Q9. I believe that angels:
5. Are personifications of human qualities gone terribly astray.
Q10. I believe that the Devil or demons:
5. Make for schlocky fiction.
Q11. If I had to categorize my own religious and spiritual beliefs, I would say they are:
5. What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks are you talking about?
Q12. Regarding those who hold beliefs that are sharply different from mine, I think:
5. I don't "hold" beliefs. Just say "no."
Q13. Regarding the formal teachings of specific denominations, I:
5. Place no currency in them. Bring back the gold standard!
Q14. Each day’s newspaper brings reports of crimes, natural disasters, and disease. My most basic reaction is:
5. We have some work to do. Perhaps we have some profound misunderstandings about ourselves.
Q15. Regarding science and religion, I think:
5. Science empowers us. Religion enthralls us.
Q16. In my view, God:
5. Is an abuse of language. (Why does this sound familiar?)
Q17. I think children should:
5. Not be intellectually or emotionally hobbled.
Q18. Which of these four statements comes closest to reflecting your views about the character of existence?
5. It seems to be there.
Q19. What frustrates me most about faith is:
3. That religions continue to create barriers and hostility between people
(Okay. That's a pretty close one.Add between people and themselves and we're getting warm.)
Q20. In regards to religion and morality:
5. Morality is negotiated run-time. Religion is varelse.
Q21. I believe there is a spirit world:
5. What?
Q22. The spiritual quest for me is mostly about:
5. Quests are for games and munchies.
Q23. Nature is:
5. Yes, I can run with that.
Q24. To be valuable to me, religion and spirituality must be sought:
5.  (...Cod, that's a halibut leading question...)
Q25. Do you find the keys to spiritual fulfillment through:
5. A good  (...leading question leading nowhere...
|
--------------------------------------------------
- dglas (In the hell of 1000 unresolved subplots...)
--------------------------------------------------
The Presupposition of Intrinsic Evil
+ A Self-Justificatory Framework
= The "Heart of Darkness"
--------------------------------------------------
|
| Edited by - dglas on 03/31/2008 12:09:59 |
|
|
|
JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 04:40:21 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by dglas
much stuff(tm)
|
Well said!
Far too many false (di/tri/quad)chotomies in them there questions.
|
John's just this guy, you know. |
| Edited by - JohnOAS on 04/03/2008 04:41:14 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Belief O'Matic
