Match Me Up - World Religions Trivia Quiz

Answer: Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest religions. Originating in Iran, it features one Supreme Being known as Ahura Mazda. It is believed this religion dates back to 2000 years BC, passing its knowledge down by rote and practice from generation to generation. First recorded articles referring to it date as far back as the 5th century BC, indicating that it had indeed already existed for quite some time. Zoroastrianism was very brutally suppressed by Islamic conquerors of Iran in the 7th century AD, so much so that there are only approximately 190,000 practising members today, some of whom still live precariously in Iran, and the rest in India. Some of its major core beliefs include:

Carrying out good deeds throughout one's life in order to keep evil and chaos at bay
Free will
Scorning monasticism
The ultimate triumph of good over evil, followed by a renewal of the universe and the reuniting of all souls
The association of purity, in particular, with water and fire, with the performance of various rituals associated with these, and
Fire almost always being present whenever members of this religion are at prayer

(Question and information from Creedy)

Answer: Bahá'í

The Bahá'í faith originated in Iran and the Middle East from the 1860s on, making it one of the newest religions to make its mark on the world in recent times. Persecuted fiercely by Muslims since its inception, it has still managed to grow and spread throughout the world. By the 21st century, its membership numbered between seven to nine million people. The Bahá'í faith is centred around the one creator who is all powerful. The Human founder of this new religion, Bahullah (1817-1892), taught that truth is in all religions and that these have been, and will all be, revealed to man over time. Therefore, all religions are one, differing only in their social beliefs and in how they are presented to their followers. Some of the other Bahá'í beliefs include:

Equality between men AND women
The belief that all prejudice must be eliminated from the world
A coming of a new world order
A happy union between religion and science
The development of a universal language
Obedience to governments, and
The elimination of poverty and the accumulation of excessive wealth

(Question and information from Creedy)

Answer: Aramaic

While most of the Jewish Bible is written in Hebrew, there are specific prayers and passages that are written in Aramaic, another Semitic language that was more widely used than Hebrew in the middle east from the 8th century BCE. One of the most important Jewish prayers, the Kaddish, is in Aramaic. The Kaddish sings the praises of god and is repeated several times during the prayer service. There is also the Mourners' Kaddish, which adds two additional verses calling for peace. These are only to be recited by those in mourning for up to 11 months after the death of a family member. While scholars don't agree on why Aramaic is used in other parts of the Jewish Bible - throughout the book of Daniel and in a few specific verses in the books of Exodus, Jeremiah and Ezra - there is some agreement on its use in the Kaddish. Since Aramaic was in more common usage at the time, it is believed that more people mourning for family members would be able to understand and be comforted by those words.

(Question and information from goodreporter)

Answer: Sikhism

Sikhism originated in the Punjab, an area located in the north of India, but with a distinctly different cultural identity. Sikhism sprang into being at the end of the 15th century, and although one of the world's younger faiths, it is the fifth largest in the world, with their numbers totalling almost 25 million followers. The sacred book of Sikhs is called the "Guru Granth Sahib", and their core beliefs include the following:

A belief in the one creator
Unity and equality for all of humanity
Selfless service to others
Social justice and prosperity for everyone, and
Honest and upright behaviour

(Question and information by Emiloony)

Answer: Shinto

Information: Shinto, also known as Kami-no-michi, is a religion that attempts to provide links from the present back to the ancient days of Japan. The word translates into the English as "Way of the Gods". Ideals associated with this religion were first recorded in the 8th century AD, so for this to happen, the faith must have existed some time prior to this time. This religion, which is followed by approximately 80 per cent of Japanese people, strives for a higher plane as well as the spiritual, as it incorporates philosophical teachings into their belief structures as well. Altogether, some of its core beliefs include the following:

A sacred essence exists in all the creations of the world - trees, rocks, rivers, animals, mountains and even people
A law of the natural order of everything
The Originating Heart of the Universe and the male and female duality of its god
The mythological creation of the islands of Japan
Ritual cleansing of impurity, and
A belief in a rather alarming afterlife

(Question and information from Tiffanyram)

Answer: Ganesh

Ganesh (also called Ganesha) is usually pictured with his elephant head in a smile over his portly Buddha-like body, while riding a mouse. He is known to remove life's most difficult obstacles and provides deep believers with prosperity. He is deeply loved not only in the Hindu religion, but in Buddhism and Jainism as well.

(Question and information provided by goodreporter)

Answer: Hinduism

Hinduism is the 3rd largest religion in the world. The religion originated in India, near the river Indus, which is where the name Hindu originated. It is the oldest religion still in existence. Hindus believe in one true God, Brahman, who appears in many forms. The most important three are known as the triumvirate - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world respectively. Hindus also believe that Brahman is present in all humans as the eternal soul, known as atman. Hindus regard all living creatures as sacred and many Hindus are vegetarian. The cow is especially revered. In the Vedas (the oldest Hindu scriptures) the cow is associated with Kamadhenu, a mother figure. Other major concepts in Hinduism include:

Dharma - morality, virtue or duty
Samsara - reincarnation, a continuous cycle where the soul is reborn in another body
Karma - every action has an equal reaction, in this lifetime or the next
Guru - a teacher or master
Moksha - liberation from the cycle of rebirth, achieved by overcoming ignorance and desire

(Question and information by Emiloony)

Answer: Islam

Islam is a monotheistic religion centred around one God, known as Allah. This religion, the second largest faith in the world by the 21st century, is believed to have originated in Mecca in the 7th century AD. Its followers completely believe that Mohammed is Allah's messenger, and, to this end, they closely follow the teachings set out by the inspired Mohammad in the Islamic book of faith, the Koran/Quran. Some of these beliefs include the following, which are the six major articles of the Muslim faith:

Belief in Allah, the one true God
Belief in God's angels
Belief in their holy book, the Koran/Quran
Belief in the prophets
Belief in Judgement Day, and
Belief in the foreordained, predestination

(Question and information by Tiffanyram)

Answer: Zen

With a history going back some 1,500 years, the Zen religion began in China with its roots in Taoism. There, as it began developing a different focus, it became known as Chan Buddhism, with distinct recognisable features of that faith, but into a totally distinct form of same. This religion spread south from China and began to grow in Vietnam, Korea and Japan, where, in Japan, it became known as Zen, a belief structure grounded in the attainment of knowledge through internal guidance. By the year 601 AD, the Zen religion had become a separate school of knowledge from Buddhism. The word Zen itself can be translated, approximately, into "meditation" and its primary goal is developing an insight into one's true nature, free from self-deception and delusion. This focuses on several intensely personal practices which include the following:

Observing the breath
Centring the energy towards the navel
Allowing thought to rise and float away
Group meditation practices, including chanting
Allowing insight to creep into the mind at any time during the day, and
Developing and seeking truth

(Question and information from Creedy)

Answer: Hoodoo

Hoodoo is described as a type of folk spirituality, with roots centred in various religions and beliefs structures of West Africa. These made their way to the Americas with the hundred of thousands of slaves that were taken to those lands in the early days of European settlement, and began to coalesce into the one general form that exists today, but with slight variations throughout. Practiced at first in secret by those who followed it, hoodoo consists, in part, of casting spells, paranormal activities, the "reading" of clients, hypnosis, healing herbs and potions, and removing curses from victims with the assistance of parapsychology - all of which tend to raise goose pimples, just a tad, on those delving into this strange, compelling and eerie belief system. Other core beliefs include:

Developing spiritual balance
Incorporating the use of talismans
A belief in a supreme, but genderless, creator who is not overly troubled by, or interested in, his or her creations, but who hands that work over to lesser spiritual deities
Veneration of ancestors and the spirits of the dead
A distant nod to the Christian belief of retribution
A belief that Moses was the first hoodoo man in the world (because of his ability to perform magic and free the Israelites from slavery), and
A belief that spiritual power can bring about desired change

(Question and information from Creedy)