Religious Literacy Quiz
Here are the answers to the religious literacy quiz in the November 16, 2008 bulletin. To figure out how you scored, add up your total points then multiply by two to get your score on a standard 100-point scale. An A is 90 points or higher. B is 80-89. C is 70-79. A passing grade is 60 points or higher. After you score your quiz, please post a comment and let us know how you did and your thoughts about religious literacy in the United States.
1. Name the four Gospels. List as many a you can. (1 point each.)
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
2. Name a sacred text of Hinduism. (1 point.)
There are many possibilities here. They include: the Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Yoga Sutras, Laws of Manu, and the Kama Sutra.
3. What is the name of the holy book of Islam? (1 point.)
Quran
4. Where according to the Bible was Jesus born? (1 point.)
Bethlehem
5. President George W. bush spoke in his first inaugural address of the Jericho road. What Bible story was he invoking? (1 point.)
the Good Samaritan
6. What are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament? (1 point each.)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
7. What is the Golden Rule? (1 point.)
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Mt 7:12) or a similar sentiment from Rabbi Hillel or Confucius. ("Love your neighbor as yourself" is not the Golden Rule.)
8. "God helps those who help themselves." Is this in the Bible? If so, where? (2 points.)
No, this is not in the Bible. In fact, it is contradicted in Proverbs 28:26: "He who trusts in himself is a fool." The words are Ben Franklin's.
9. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God": does this appear in the Bible? If so, where? (2 points.)
Yes, in the Beatitudes of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:3).
10. Name the Ten Commandments. List as many as you can. (10 points.)
The Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish versiions of the ten Commandments differ. Give yourself credit for any ten of the following twelve commandments, each of which appears in at least one of those three versions:
- I the Lord am yur God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage.
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You shall have no other gods before me.
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You shall not make yourself a graven image.
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You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
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Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
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Honor your father and mother.
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You shall not kill/murder
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You shall not commit adultery.
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You shall not steal.
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You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
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You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
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You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
11. Name the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. List as many as you can. (4 points.)
12. What are the weven sacraments of Catholicism? List as many as you can. (7 points.) Eucharist Reconciliation/Penance Confirmation Marriage Holy Orders Anointing of the Sick 13. the First Amendment says two things about religion, each in its own "clause." What are the two religion clauses of the First Admendment? (1 point each.) "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The words before the comma are referred to as the establishment clause; the words that follow constitute the free exercise clause. 14. What is Ramadan? In what religion is it celebrated? (2 points.) Ramadan is a Muslim holiday characterized by a month of fasting. 15. Match the Bible characters with the stories in which they appear. Some characters may be matched with more than one story or vice versa. (7 points.) Paul-Road to Damascus Moses-Exodus, Parting of the Red Sea Noah-Olive Branch Jesus-Road to Damascus, Garden of Gethsemane Abraham-Binding of Isaac Serpent-Garden of Eden
This quiz and answers are reprinted from Stephen Prothero's Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know-And Doesn't.
