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9/10 and Christian. Even though I missed one, that was a pretty fraggin' simple quiz. The one I missed was the Sabbath one. In fairness, I knew that the actual day time of the Sabbath falls on Saturday, but I wasn't sure if it actually began right on Saturday or right before Saturday (i.e., Friday night). I almost picked Friday, but didn't want to second-guess myself. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I got the question wrong but I'm not completely clueless on the subject either. I learned something new though, that I won't be forgetting anytime soon....getting it wrong pissed me off.
In my experience, while I've certainly known plenty of other Christians who were absolutely clueless when it came to other religions (and even their own, sometimes), I haven't met many atheists (and I've known a lot) that had a particularly good understanding of Christianity. That said, I don't find it hard to believe that atheists in general would statistically know more about religion, especially if tests like these are the measuring stick being used for religious knowledge.
Many of the atheists who I've had religious conversations with or heard talk about religion in a normal discussion setting knew lots of little "facts" about religions (which would allow them to score well on a test like this), but their actual understanding tended to be rather shallow. Kind of a mile wide and an inch deep, to the point where it was difficult to have a enjoyable, enriching, challenging conversation on the subject because I felt like I was stuck explaining what to me were relatively basic theological concepts - I would hear things like "You aren't a real Christian because the Bible says you have to stone disobedient children and you don't do that, you hypocrite!" It made the whole conversation cumbersome because it was assumed that I (and anyone else who claimed to have valid Christian beliefs) was starting from a perspective of reading every single word in the Bible completely literally, which was of course completely incorrect and not anywhere close to where I was coming from.
In a similar vein, I heard a lot of "Christians believe this and that" and most of the time I felt it was hugely simplified and horribly misrepresented. Of course, I also hear many other Christians say "Muslims believe this and that" or "Buddhists believe this and that" and so on, and it infuriates me because it's the exact same kind of misrepresentation, and most of the time they have no idea what they're talking about.
Having said all that, some of my most favorite people in the world to talk to about anything at all, including religion, are atheist or agnostic, but their knowledge of the subject tended to outpace the average persons of both religious or non-religious persuasions.
Clearly the answer is Jabez. He had his own trendy prayer and everything!
Now how you write an entire book about this:
I Chronicles 4:10 NKJV wrote:And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain." So God granted him what he requested.
is beyond me.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2010/09/28 17:39:30
That's not the fault of atheism Hordini, that is the fault of ignorance Pretty much my earlier point about general knowledge.
Another factor is that a lot of people in the UK who only see a church at Christenings, weddings and funerals pop CofE on forms. They may say they are Church of England and believe in God but little religious knowledge.
No sarky coments about Anglicans and belief in God please, too easy a target
Kilkrazy wrote:I got 9/10, failed on Q10 but in my favour that is a political/legal issue not religious.
I honestly think that question is a bit unfair. It's pretty clear it's present to trip up a Christian, a group that has become accustomed (at leas the Protestant side of it) to the idea that the government is oppressing them. An educated Christian is libel to know the correct answer to that question. One with a high school degree in their forties living in the back country of North Carolina isn't.
Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:That's not the fault of atheism Hordini, that is the fault of ignorance Pretty much my earlier point about general knowledge.
Oh, absolutely. I wasn't blaming the shallow understanding of religion that some people displayed on atheism itself, just as I wouldn't blame a shallow knowledge of or total lack of knowledge of other religions on Christianity itself. In both cases the root of the problem is that the people are simply clueless.
9/10. the question about the supreme court and the bible surprised me, since the courts tend to be pretty hostile towards religion in the public sector.
I didn't realize we were supposed to post our scores earlier. 10/10
Statistically that says I'm an atheist now or something, right? And I just bought a new stack of anointed prayer cloths that are supposed to bring me financial wealth.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
AbaddonFidelis wrote:9/10. the question about the supreme court and the bible surprised me, since the courts tend to be pretty hostile towards religion in the public sector.
Teaching Bible as literature or as part of a comparative religions course can be ok.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
Well, I think most Muslims and Mormons know more about their faith than Chrisitians do.
I don't think Atheists know much about the Bible except select verses from the Old Testament that they use to bash it. And ones from the New Testament that they take out of context of course.
Amaya wrote:Well, I think most Muslims and Mormons know more about their faith than Chrisitians do.
why do you think that?
Amaya wrote:
I don't think Atheists know much about the Bible except select verses from the Old Testament that they use to bash it. And ones from the New Testament that they take out of context of course.
Amaya wrote:I don't think Atheists know much about the Bible except select verses from the Old Testament that they use to bash it. And ones from the New Testament that they take out of context of course.
While the numbers are growing, most Atheists aren't necessarily born that way. You can be a Jew/Christian/et. al. and end up being an atheist; conversion is still the highest percentage of atheists. I know more Atheists that have read the Bible cover to cover than Christians. Even so most of either group don't read it cover to cover. It is a very dull book. It is like an album with a few good songs but the rest are B-Sides.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
I've read the koran cover to cover. god that was a mistake. what a boring book. yeah the bible has its good parts but alot of it is of little more than historical interest...
Its the part where all the names are named. Thats pretty long. The cool stuff comes later.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
What, your Bible doesn't have the Book of Bob? Infidel.
Gozer's weakness was shoes and strangely, dog bones. The Egyptian God Anubis tricked him into leaning over to look at some shoe shaped doggie treats, and Anubis gave him a god sized wedgie.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
