Religiously Easy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Christianity

According to "The World Factbook", as of July 2013, the breakdown is:
"Christian - 33.39%, Muslim - 22.74%, Hindu - 13.80%, Buddhist - 6.77%,
Sikh - 0.35%, Jewish - 0.22%, Baha'i - 0.11%, other religions - 10.95%,
non-religious - 9.66%, atheists - 2.01%." The four disciplines having one billion adherents or more, in descending order, are Christianity, Islam, Secular and Non-religious (including atheists and agnostics), and Hindu.

Answer: Juche

Juche is considered a political belief system or a "political religion". Juche (pronounced joo-che) represents the North Korean ideology that teaches that "man is the master of everything and decides everything" and espouses self-reliance. Kim Il-sung outlined the fundamental principles of Juche in April 1965, but the philosophy seems to benefit the country's rulers more than the general population since, in 2005, North Korea was the second largest recipient of international food aid.

The country suffers chronic food shortages to this day.

Answer: Greek Orthodox

In 1054, Orthodox Christianity experienced "The Great Schism" in which the church split in two - one was considered the Catholic (or Universal) Church and the other was the Orthodox Church; these churches then divided into Western Orthodox (in Western Europe) and Eastern Orthodox (in Eastern Europe). Because of differences in language and geography, rather than doctrine, there was yet another separation into Greek and Russian Orthodox. Baptist, Lutheran and Pentecostal denominations are all part of Protestantism and, it seems, all Protestants may be considered Christian, but not all Christians are Protestants.

Answer: Quakers

The Quakers left England and came to America to pursue greater religious freedom. Among the basic tenets of the Quakers are the refusal to fight in war, simplicity in dress, and opposition to slavery and alcohol. The difference between the Puritans and the Quakers was that the Puritans believed that most people were destined for "eternal damnation", the Quakers had a more positive view of humanity in that God lives inside everyone - the glass is half-empty vs. the glass is half-full. Famous Quakers of America include Richard Nixon, Daniel Boone, Annie Oakley, James Dean and Edward R. Murrow.

Answer: Scientology

Lafayette Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) or LRH was known as a science fiction and fantasy writer. In May 1950 he developed a self-help system which he called Dianetics. In 1952, expanding upon this idea by adding doctrines and rituals, he created a new religious movement called Scientology.

The basic premise of this religion is that "man is an immortal and spiritual being and his experiences extend beyond a single lifetime." While many consider Scientology more of a cult, and Science Fiction writer Isaac Asimov called it "gibberish", the Church of Scientology has many loyal followers like John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Lisa Marie Presley.

Answer: believes in a cycle of reincarnation until enlightenment is reached

Hinduism originated in 1500-500 BCE on the Indian subcontinent. Hindus worship in a temple and practice meditation and yoga; they believe in reincarnation and devotion to various gods and goddesses. Some Hindus would also like to see Buddhism, Janism and Sikhism reunite with Hinduism.

On the other hand, in Islam they have the five pillars: one God with Muhammad as his messenger, prayer five times daily, fast during Ramadan, charity to the poor and pilgrimage or Hajj. Their followers are Muslims and they have many prophets like Abraham, Jesus and Muhammad, but only one God, Allah, who is the only one permitted to be worshiped.

Answer: Islam

Muslims believe in a powerful and unknowable God; this differs from Christian monotheism in that the Christians believe in a loving God, with some branches believing in a transcendent vs. an immanent God. In contrast, Hindus worship many gods, while New Age Followers believe in a higher consciousness within themselves. Buddhists, however, do not worship any gods or God, nor do they believe that the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) is divine, only that he has attained spiritual enlightenment.

This enlightenment, i.e., Nirvana, frees them from the continuous cycle of reincarnation or the "blowing out of the flame of desire".

Answer: Sikhism - Jainism

While Sikhism and Jainism are both South Asian religions, Jainism is the oldest known religion in India, with Sikhism the youngest. They differ in many ways, including their concept of God. Sikhs believe there is one God; Jains do not believe in a heavenly figure, but that the universe is a never-ending cycle where they are responsible for their own salvation. Lutherans are Protestants, some of whom were once Roman Catholics, and Sunni and Shia are two major denominations of Islam whose followers are Muslim. Confused yet?

Answer: Mormons

The LDS or Mormon Church, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, considers itself to be the "restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ". It was founded on April 6, 1830 by Joseph Smith. According to the National Council of Churches, it is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States.

Their doctrine includes salvation only through Jesus Christ, and their members adhere to purity, fasting and Sabbath observance. Their covenants with God include baptism, confirmation, holy communion and celestial marriage. Among its famous members are Brigham Young, Mitt Romney, Donny Osmond and Philo T. Farnsworth (inventor of Electronic Television).

Answer: Hedonism

Since Asceticism is defined as "severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence," it would totally contradict the tenets of Hedonism which is the pursuit of pleasure and self-indulgence. Asceticism is similar to anhedonism, except that the latter represents a psychological disorder of a person who is unable to experience pleasure, i.e., the former is chosen.

As for the others; Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, atheism is a rejection of the belief that God exists, and agnosticism, who knows? I have gone from Allah to Zoroaster in this quiz and, quite frankly, learned a lot!