Alternative Religions Trivia

1. While they may have had a presidential nominee (Mitt Romney) and a major Broadway musical, the Mormons are still viewed as rather odd by many. Who founded the church in 1830?

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith had several visions in the 1820s in which he claimed to have seen a series of golden plates. His translation of these plates, a history of the twelve tribes of Israel in Central America, formed the basis for "The Book of Mormon". The church was founded in Fayette, New York in April 1830. Smith and his brother were assassinated in Nauvoo, Illinois in June 1845, Brigham Young led emigration of the Mormon pioneers to Utah in 1846. Partridge and Rigdon were two key early leaders in the church.

From Quiz Up To No Good: Alternate Religions' Evil and Sin

Answer: The beer is stale and the strippers have sexually transmitted diseases

Pastafarianism is also known as the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and came about after an open letter from Bobby Henderson protested the teaching of intelligent design in Kansas public school science classes (mid 2000s). Along with this alternative view on heaven and hell, Pastafarians also believe that pirates are divine beings and that global warming is a direct result of the drop of the number of pirates since the 1800s. Similar to Christianity, Pastafarians have a list of rules they live by called the "8 I'd Really Rather You Didn'ts" which cover how people of other faiths are to be treated, worship of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, sexual conduct and personal nutrition. The fact that two stone tablets relaying these rules were dropped on their way down Mt Salsa by Mosey and his gang of pirates apparently in part way accounts for the rather flimsy moral standards expected of Pastafarians. Hence, not many Pastafarians sin so badly they will end up in Pastafarian hell.

From Quiz 20th Century Religions

Answer: Scientology

Author L. Ron Hubbard published "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" in 1950. It was not a religious work, but rather a self-improvement technique that aimed at unlocking mental potentials untapped by most people. Two years later, he expanded the teachings of Dianetics into a religious direction which he called Scientology. Many of Scientology's practices and exercises are designed to induce trance-like states in practitioners and the religion employs a controlled vocabulary, often redefining common words, which makes it very difficult for outsiders to communicate with members. It is being criticized for excessive, brutal control of its members and the extreme costs of participating in the church with a complete program of spiritual growth often setting back the member several hundred thousand dollars.

From Quiz Parody Religions

Answer: Pastafarianism

Bobby Henderson created the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster as part of a response to the Kansas School Board's decision to introduce the teaching of intelligent design as a part of the science education program. Pastafarians believe that global warming and other natural disasters are caused by the shrinking numbers of pirates since the 1800s. Pirate regalia is also the chosen garb of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and Pastafarians. Bobby Hendersons' open letter to the Kansas School Board can be read at several sites on the web. Just do a quick search and you will be able to find it easily.

From Quiz Alternative Religions

Answer: Druidism

There is little first-hand knowledge on this ancient culture, as all information was passed on orally and learned through mnemonics. Julius Caesar was the writer of the most important knowledge that exists on Druids. He was a priest himself and interested in the beliefs of others. Remnants of Druidism exist today and, although these are based on the ancient culture, no demonstrable direct links have been found.

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: Xenu

According to Scientologists, an alien overlord named Lord Xenu sent billions of his followers to the planet Earth and then killed them using nuclear weapons. The souls of these murder victims are called "thetans" and are supposedly the reason for suffering on the planet Earth. Terl is one of the main characters in "Battlefield Earth," a science fiction novel by L Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. The Pyschlos were the alien race which conquered Earth.

From Quiz Up To No Good: Alternate Religions' Evil and Sin

Answer: Jedi

While the Jedi church has no scripture or doctrine to follow (or to define sin or evil), there is an acknowledgement of the concept of two opposing sides making up "the force". It is this acknowledgement of both sides of the force that mean followers know and can make the choice between a good or bad action. Actions taken determines if a person is 'good' or 'evil', and it is the existence of this choice that is necessary for free will.

From Quiz Alternative Religions

Answer: Jediism

Jedi believe that everything originates from the Force and adhere to the Jedi code: -Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy. -Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others. -Jedi respect all life, in any form. -Jedi serve others rather than rule over them, for the good of the galaxy. -Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training. In the 2001 New Zealand census, if it was counted as a religion, Jedi would have been the second largest, after Christianity, with 1.5 percent of the population claiming to be Jedi. *The Jedi code was sourced from Wikipedia (although there are other websites that I found it on).

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: The Flying Spaghetti Monster

The Flying Spaghetti Monster was created by Henderson in 2005. Henderson created the religion in response to Christian conservatives pushing "intelligent design" in public schools. Henderson wrote a "Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" in 2006 and maintains a website to promote the idea of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Henderson and other Pastafarians have engaged in debates with advocates of Creationism. Pastafarianism is generally a lighthearted religion; their holy day is Friday and the response to prayers is "R'amen."

From Quiz Parody Religions

Answer: Frisbeetarianism

Frisbeetarianism is the philosophy that "when you die, your soul goes up on a roof and gets stuck" and was created in 1975 by George Carlin, who openly and regularly denounced the idea of a god. According to the allexperts encyclopedia, there is a lesser known aspect of the religion known as 'The Ascension', which is "where someone comes along with a ladder and collects all the souls". There is no clarity, however, as to what happens next...

From Quiz Alternative Religions

Answer: Rastafarianism

Rastafarians accept Haile Selassie I as the incarnation of God, known as Jah, or Jah Rastafari. The Rastafarian movement emerged in the 1930s, mainly from Jamaica, and regard Zion (Africa - and in particular, Ethiopia) as the 'Promised Land' of Moses. They see themselves as children of God and the true descendants of David, as defined in the Old Testament. Many Rastafarians are strict vegetarians who don't drink alcohol but smoke cannabis, known as the 'Holy Herb', as this is considered being filled with the Holy Spirit. Bedwardism is more properly known as Jamaica Native Baptist Free Church, Obeah is a West Indies term used to refer to magic as used for religious reasons (folk magic, sorcery, etc), and the Bahá'í Faith originated in the Middle East in the nineteenth century.

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: Seventh Day Adventists

William Miller was a millennial prophet who proclaimed the second coming of Jesus and the end the world throughout much of the 1830s. His first date was March 21; he then adjusted that to April 18 and finally October 22. When the world did not end in October, the movement split up, with one branch forming the Seventh Day Adventists. By the early 20th century, it was one of the largest religious groups in the world, with over 20 million members worldwide. While Seventh Day Adventists have some ideas that are a little out of the mainstream, they are generally recognized as a major Protestant denomination in the United States.

From Quiz False Faith?

Answer: Christianity

While the name 'Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism' only appears in a few different episodes of the animated comedy, the Simpson family frequently appears in their church led by Reverend Timothy Lovejoy. As depicted, most of Springfield follows the Protestant views of Christianity and they attend Sunday services. Nonetheless, because of the show's long-running stature, the concept of religion has been talked about on numerous occasions. In one episode, "The Joy of Sect", the town is brainwashed by Movementarians, a cult of people who worship a man simply known as 'The Leader'. Lisa Simpson practices Buddhism while secondary character Moe Sizlack is a self-proclaimed 'Snake Handler'.

From Quiz Parody Religions

Answer: Peanuts

Linus's belief in the Great Pumpkin has been interpreted as a parody of Christian evangelism. The Great Pumpkin was first mentioned in 1959 and is a figure comparable to the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. On Halloween night each year, Linus sits in a pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear. 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' - 1966 animated television special - re-iterated a quote from Linus, originally from the comic strip and regarding the Great Pumpkin: "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."

From Quiz Alternative Religions

Answer: Thelema

In 1904, Aleister Crowley was involved in a series of events which, in April of the same year, led to him writing the three chapters (220 verses) of The Book of the Law, on which the religion of Thelema is based. Proponents of the religion hold the belief that every person possesses a True Will and that the Law of Thelema is that of Love. The main point of Thelema is that "each person has the right to fulfill themselves through whatever beliefs and actions are best suited to them (so long as they do not interfere with the will of others), and only they themselves are qualified to determine what these are." (From the Thelema 101 site). Mandaeism is historically practiced in southern Iraq and western Iran (Khuzestan Province), Ásatrú is similar to the Old Norse faith and Jediism is based on ideas as presented in the 'Star Wars' movies.

From Quiz Modern Cults

Answer: Sexual liberation

The doctrine of the Children of God was spelled out in over 3000 'Mo Letters', that is, writings of David Berg (i.e. Moses Berg). The philosophy changed from time to time but advocated sex with children, later renounced. There was an open door to homosexuals and bisexuals. At one time there was a 'Flirty Fishing'. This was a squad of generally female believers who would seduce unsuspecting males into sexually compromising situations in order to bring them into the faith. It is reported that over 300 children were born through this system, and were referred to as 'Jesus children'. Berg himself fathered children and published an illustrated book detailing pictures and narratives of the sexual abuse of his young son.

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: Hawaii

Huna was founded in Hawaii in 1936. Max Freedom Long was a metaphysicist who determined that ancient secrets of knowledge were encoded in the Hawaiian language. He wrote his first book on Huna in 1936 and founded Huna Research in 1945. Huna is based on seven principles that Long extrapolated from Hawaiian words. Native Hawaiian speakers say that Long's definitions have nothing to do with the actual meaning of the words. Huna takes its name from Kahuna, a Hawaiian word meaning expert.

From Quiz Parody Religions

Answer: Springfield

Although not the only church in Springfield, The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutherianism is the one which is mostly seen in episodes of 'The Simpsons'. According to Wikipedia, the Presbylutherians officially split from an un-named church over their right to attend church with wet hair; this was in 1573. Metropolis, Gotham City, and Superbia are all fictional cities created by DC Comics.

From Quiz Alternative Religions

Answer: Ásatrú

Ásatrú, Heathenry and Odinism are all forms of Germanic Neopaganism, yet only Ásatrú was founded by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. The Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið ('Icelandic fellowship of Æsir faith') was recognised in 1973 by the Icelandic government as a religious body. Denmark and Norway have since followed this lead. Ásatrú is a polytheistic religion with three different types of deities: -Aesir - the gods of the tribe or clan, representing kingship, order, craft, etc. -Vanir - gods of the fertility of the earth and forces of nature -Jotnar - giant-gods who are in a constant state of war with the Aesir, representing chaos and destruction The four main deities of Ásatrú are as for Germanic religions - Odin, Thos, Freyr and Freyja, with four minor deities - Njord, Tyr, Ullr and Loki. Heathenry is used to describe both the old and newer faiths as practiced in the Nordic region. It is also used by those who are re-creating the old religion from archaeological and literary sources. In his 1848 Letter to Protestants, Orestes Brownson (first) used the term 'Odinism'. Odinism mainly refers to the Odinic Rite in which members are encouraged to live their lives according to the Nine Charges and the Nine Noble Virtues.

From Quiz Modern Cults

Answer: Birth of a Nation

After the release of "Birth of a Nation" the Klan grew in the 1920s to an estimated four million members. Many more joined but dropped out very quickly when its goals became clear and uncomfortable. The ebb and flow of membership was often related to the social and economic issues of the time. The theme of white supremacy has pretty much remained intact as well as the ghostly costumes, used as a tactic to intimidate their victims, particularly black Americans. Horrible tales of lynchings and cross burnings litter the Klan history.

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: Guyana

The Reverend Jim Jones founded The People's Temple in 1954 in Indianapolis. The church moved to California in the 1960s and was based in San Francisco. Under increasing pressure from the IRS, Jones fled to Guyana in 1977. The downfall of the cult began in November 1978, when US Rep. Leo Ryan, who had several constituents with family members in the cult, visited Jonestown. The Congressman and several of his staff were murdered by cult members. Subsequently, Jones and 900 of his followers committed mass suicide, most from drinking cyanide laced kool-aid. This is where the phrase "drinking the kool-aid" comes from.

From Quiz Up To No Good: Alternate Religions' Evil and Sin

Answer: White people

In the early days of the Rastafari movement there was belief that white people (who ruled from Rome) were evil and that they would eventually become the servants of blacks. Modern Rastafari has expanded to include white members and in the mid-1970s the belief system was revised to be inclusive of more types of people. In general, Rastafari strive to be peaceful people with the belief that God makes himself known through humanity and that God is found within every person. As such, all life is precious and important and should be preserved and protected.

From Quiz False Faith?

Answer: Henry Ford

The founder of the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford paved the way for automobile industries in the Western world, becoming one of the most successful businessmen of his time through his practices and ideas about the manufacturing trade. Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel, "Brave New World", takes the idea of Fordism to an extreme. In a futuristic world where people are produced and conditioned for their destinies, the aim is to mass produce consumer items and provide senses of homogeneity and predictability of products and expectations. As such, most of the characters in the novel's 'World State' are genetically produced on assembly lines and taught at young ages what should and should not be felt. Certain biological changes are made to set them down the right path in life. The point behind Fordism is the idea of a group of people who take their beliefs from one specific source (much like the deities of other religion). The twist in Huxley's book is that the industrialist theories of this auto manufacturer are the bread and butter of their beliefs. Dates in the 'AD' era are now 'AF' (for After Ford) and citizens of the World State exclaim 'By Ford!' as an exclamation as a result of their early teachings. Fordism also ties into Marxist political theory due to its materialist/consumerist nature.

From Quiz Parody Religions

Answer: The Cult of Michael Jackson

From the Cult of Michael Jackson website: "10 Laws of the Boogie: 1. You shall have no other pop Gods or Kings before MJ. 2. You shall strive to make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth, you shall boogie and keep thy faith and strive to be all that you can be. 3. You shall blame it on the boogie, knowing you are a dancin' machine and scream thy name. 4. Observe the nine to five day, and then at night you shall enjoy yourself, groove as the MJ commands you. 5. Start with the man in the mirror, honor yourself, make your father proud and your mother smile, love everyone, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that thy idol MJ is commanding thee to enjoy. 6. You shall obey the rule that nobody shall hurt anybody else. 7. You shall not stop until you get enough. 8. Nor shall you be a smooth criminal, nor a macho man, and when in doubt just beat it. 9. Neither shall you victimize or scheme, upon penalty of a scream. Be careful of what you do, 'cause the lie becomes the truth. Before you judge, try hard to love. 10. Your girl is yours and my girl is mine. Neither shall you be a Billie Jean or cause a scene. Do as your mother says and be careful of who you love."

From Quiz Alternative Religions

Answer: Raëlism

Raëlism is based on the belief that ancient extraterrestrials resembling humans (Elohim) have contacted people on Earth in order for them to ready humanity for understanding the origin of life on Earth in preparation for a worldwide welcoming of Elohim and their messengers. The world 'Elohim' is a Hebrew word meaning 'those who came from the sky', and is used to refer to the non-Earth humans who Raëlism followers believe created life on Earth. Followers of Raëlism also believe that Jesus Christ was resurrected through a scientific cloning process, including memory transfer, by the Elohim and, as such, are advocates for furthering the knowledge and practice of cloning. Falun Gong was founded in China in 1992, Godianism (or Chiism) was founded in Nigeria in 1948, and Unitarian Universalism was formed in 1961 after the merger of two Christian religions (Universalist Church in America and the American Unitarian Association).

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: Waco

The original Branch Davidians, an offshoot of Seventh Day Adventism, was founded by Benjamin Rodin near Elk, Texas in 1955. The downfall of the group began with the arrival of Vernon Howell (later known as David Koresh) in 1981. Howell/Koresh split off from the Roden organization in 1983, and for a decade they fought the original Davidians. The fall of Koresh's group came in the spring of 1993, with a 51-day standoff with federal officials between February 28 and April 19. The ATF accused Koresh of having illegal stockpiles of weapons. After weeks with no resolution, the government called Koresh's bluff. On April 19, the FBI led a raid on the Davidian compound which led to a fire that killed 76 Davidians, including Koresh. The events at Waco inspired the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19 two years later and remains central to the animus which some ultra-conservative groups have towards the federal government.

From Quiz Up To No Good: Alternate Religions' Evil and Sin

Answer: Takes it easy

Dudeism is itself torn between deciding if it is a religion or a 'worldview'. It compares itself to several mainstream religions yet also claims that religion gets too complex and that's where "everything can go wrong". Dudeism tries to keep it simple by taking things easy and encouraging followers to be "true to yourself and others". 'The Big Lebowski' (the film first released in 1998) is considered the founding myth of Dudeism in the same way that the Christian Gospels are to Christian religions.

From Quiz Parody Religions

Answer: Googlism

The nine proofs of Googlism state that Google is (among other things) omnipresent, omniscient and immortal and therefore exhibits many of the characteristics traditionally associated with a god, yet in a scientific manner. Google.com was registered on September 14th, therefore Google Appreciation Day occurs on September 14th of each year. According to thechurchofgoogle website, "Google Appreciation Day's main purpose is to better the lives of those who celebrate it by encouraging the acquisition of knowledge, which will eventually lead to the betterment of one's life." For more information on Googlism, go to thechurchofgoogle website.

From Quiz God Bless the First Amendment

Answer: Hale-Bopp Comet

The Heaven's Gate cult committed suicide in March 1997 because they believed that Comet Hale-Bopp was actually an alien spaceship that would transport them off Earth. Comet Hale-Bopp was one of the brightest objects in the night sky for most of 1996 and 1997. It set a new visibility record of 18 months. At its peak, Hale Bopp was visible before nightfall. Halley's comet appeared in 1986. Comet Hyakutake was the Great Comet of 1996, Comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with Jupiter in 1994.

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