20th Century Religions Trivia Quiz

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.

Answer: Unification Church

The Unification Church adheres to the general tenets of a creator God, Christ's sacrifice for salvation, the resurrection and the second coming of Christ, but adds its own interpretation. One key belief is that there is complete predestination - all of God's children are inevitably destined for salvation and where one human fails, others can make up for him or her, albeit at a greater price.

The church has seen much public scrutiny based on its particular views on marriage, with Rev. Moon himself having matched many of the couples to be married. Moon is regarded by believers as a second messiah and infallible.

Answer: LaVeyan Satanism

Most adherents of LaVeyan Satanism do not consider themselves believing in a religion but rather a philosophy. The "Satanism" name is a misnomer in that believers in this religion do not actually worship the devil as a higher being - the name rather stems from its opposition to the Abrahamic concept of serving a divine entity. LaVeyan Satanists consider themselves the highest authorities and the belief system emphasizes independence and Libertarianism.

It denies service and encourages the individual to exploit the weakness of others to get ahead in life but does not condone violence or any negative interference into the life of others, unless they have offended the believer first. Unlike other types of Satanism (which actually do worship a diabolic being), the LaVeyan branch does not acknowledge any "Black Mass" and explicitly forbids animal sacrifice or even harming animals for any other reasons than self-defence or food.

Answer: Jediism

Drawing inspiration from the depiction and code of the Jedi Knights from the "Star Wars" saga, thousands of fans have modeled their own life ideals on these champions of good and peace. The creator of "Star Wars", George Lucas, had, himself, only drawn from inspiration considered true and virtuous throughout the last 13,000 years.

As such, Jediism is just one of many legitimate manifestations of a belief in a non-personal divine force which does not act (like a personified deity) but rather affects, creates and furthers life through its simple existence.

In a 1999 interview George Lucas confirmed that he was hoping to help young people's spiritual development with his depiction of moral values and a pervasive, universal life force.

Answer: Discordianism

Discordianism is based on "Principia Discordia", a book by Malaclypse the Younger (whose civil name is simply Greg Hill). The book was written and published in the late 1950s and, while often bordering the absurd and using humor as a vehicle, explicitly intends to be taken seriously as a basis for religious belief. Discordianism sees itself as an antithesis and necessary counterpart to order-based religions. It uses meditative practices in many ways similar to Zen to achieve enlightenment and spiritual growth. Humor, especially of the subversive form, is, in the Discordian view, a necessary instrument in belief, because it ensures active reflection and prevents the codex from being subject to dogmatic stagnation.

Dudeism and Kibology are both strictly parody religions, by the way - the first is based on "The Big Lebowski" and the second on an internet personality of the mid-1990s.

Answer: Bahá'í

Bahá'í is a monotheistic religion with a very small canon of mystical foundation texts. It acknowledges and worships God with a minimum of ritual - the only ritual permitted is the obligatory daily prayer which is, just like the Islamic Salat, fully prescribed in wording and form. Bahá'í adherents are otherwise bound by a strict moral codex that prohibits any extramarital sexual relations, alcohol, gambling, and many forms of political participation as well as gossip.

The religion also prescribes a fasting regime similar to that of Ramadan to be adhered to for 19 days each March.

Answer: Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses interpret the Bible in a very strict and dogmatic fashion determined by the Governing Body. To ensure that all congregations are made aware of the Governing Body's insights, any refinements in doctrine are published in tracts to the members.

The Witnesses' Bible view is extremely literal and considers the text inerrant as written. According to their world view, the end times ("last days") have already begun in 1914 and the 144,000 who shall live with God have already been chosen. Only those (of which only a small fraction are still alive) are permitted to partake of the sacrament in Witness worship, so it is not unusual that no one will be there to take it. Public preaching and literature distribution are among the key duties of a Witness, much affecting their public image.

Answer: Transcendental Meditation

Promoted as a technique to improve not only spiritual but also physical health, Transcendental Meditation claims to achieve supernatural effects if practiced correctly. In a way similar to the marketing of Scientology, its courses are only available for a substantial fee, but unlike that religion, practitioners only need to study the technique once and are then free to apply it in their daily life independently, without the need for constant review. Transcendental Meditation includes some aspects of Hindu belief but does not see itself in contradiction with other faiths.

Answer: Jainism

Osho, born as Chandra Mohan Jain and also (probably best) known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, founded a religious movement based loosely on Buddhist teachings but with an extremely liberal attitude towards sexuality in the 1960s. In the late 1960s, this movement gained popularity among young people in the West and for some years, the orange (later red) robes of the sannyasins, as the believers called themselves, were a common sight in the cities. By 1985, the movement had begun to decline in importance and it is now once again mostly surviving in India only.

Jainism, by the way, is an ancient Indian belief system, with organizations documented all the way back to the 9th century BCE.

Answer: Unitarian Universalism

The underlying ideal of Unitarian Universalism is that every individual should be free to search for truth their own way without any restrictions imposed by an authoritarian organization or other framework. While most Unitarian Universalists adhere to a belief system at least partially founded on Christian traditions and their services reflect, in outward form, a Protestant service, the sermon as the key element of this worship style is not fixed to be drawn from any particular religious text but rather should be held in a way that encourages searching and spiritual growth.