I just finished reading Stephen Prothero's Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--and Doesn't. Prothero demonstrates that Americans, while deeply religious, know precious little about what they deem sacred. The reasons are complex, with both the religiously devout and secularists to blame, though the blame falls more squarely on the former. Prothero argues that our profound ignorance of all things religious is deeply troubling and that the solution to our national disgrace is to introduce religious instruction in public schools, a recommendation I wholeheartedly support. Contrary to what many zealous Americans--believers and nonbelievers alike--think, religious instruction is not unconstitutional. The book is a quick and persuasive read.
Early in the book, Prothero confronts the reader with a Religious Literacy Quiz, a quiz that he administers to the students in his introductory course in religion at Boston University. I took the quiz, and while I did better than most of his students and the American public, my score was disappointing. Troubled, I decided that others should test their knowledge of religion. I invite you to take a minute or two to record your answers to the following 15 questions:
1. Name the four Gospels. (1 point each)
2. Name a sacred text of Hinduism. (1 point)
3. What is the name of the holy book of Islam? (1 point)
4. Where according to the Bible, was Jesus born? (1 point)
5. President George W. Bush spoke in his first inaugural address of the Jericho road. What Bible story was he invoking? (1 point)
6. What are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament? (1 point each)
7. What is the Golden Rule? (1 point)
8. "God helps those who help themselves": Is this in the Bible? If so, where? (2 points)
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)
10. Name the Ten Commandments. (10 points)
11. Name the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. (4 points)
12. What are the seven sacraments of Catholicism? (7 points)
13. The First Amendment says two things about religion, each in its own "clause." What are the two religion clauses of the First Amendment? (1 point each)
14. What is Ramadan? In what religion is it celebrated? (2 points)
15. Match the Bible characters with the stories in which they appear. Hint: Some characters may be matched with more than one story or vice versa. (7 points)
Characters:
A. Adam and Eve
B. Paul
C. Moses
D. Noah
E. Jesus
F. Abraham
G. Serpent
Stories:
1. Exodus
2. Binding of Isaac
3. Olive Branch
4. Garden of Eden
5. Parting of the Red Sea
6. Road to Damascus
7. Garden of Gethsemane
Total possible points: 50
The correct answers (as well as my score) can be found in the comments section of this post.
Answers to the Quiz:
ReplyDelete1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
2. Many possible answers: Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Yoga Sutras, Laws of Manu, and the Kama Sutra
3. Koran (or Quran)
4. Bethlehem
5. The Good Samaritan
6. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
7. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12)
8. The phrase does not appear in the Bible. In fact, they are contradicted by Proverbs 28:26, which states that "He who trusts in himself is a fool." The words are Ben Franklin's.
9. The phrase comes from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3)
10. Any of the following 12 will do (answers differ by religious tradition):
- I, the Lord, am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage.
- You shall have no other gods before me.
- You shall not make yourself a graven image.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not kill/murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
11. Life is suffering; suffering has an origin; suffering can be overcome (nirvana); and the path to overcoming suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path.
12. Baptism, Eucharist/Mass/Holy Communion, Reconciliation/Confession/Penance, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick/Last Rites
13. The part of the First Amendment pertaining to religion reads "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The part preceding the comma is known as the establishment clause, and the latter part is the free exercise clause
14. Ramadan is a Muslim holiday characterized by a month of fasting.
15. Below:
A. 4
B. 6
C. 1 and 5
D. 3
E. 6 and 7
F. 2
G. 4
My score: 39
My score was horrible, certainly not a 39. Closer to a 20.
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