I break from my work, pretending for moment to have no identifiable purpose. I try to get to that silly PEW quiz on religion — the result of which has gotten everyone so worked up that it is almost impossible to get on to the site.
I eventually get to the quiz, a 15 question exam that any educated individual should be able to conquer easily. Moses, Abraham, Moses, Abraha,,,,,,, damn it, I always get those two mixed up. Despite agnosticism I score 15/15. I won’t bet on my lack of magical thinking having anything to do with it.
I speculate on the considerable consideration being given to a political candidate who dabbled in witchcraft, and only technically “went to Oxford” by way of receiving a certificate from a class that rented space there. A candidate who at sometime in the past appeared to be Bill Maher’s pet. Does anyone seriously think she has a chance at winning? If not is would pay to stop all the craziness.
I’d rather see coverage of Mountaintop Removal, and the continued corruption to our highest level of government which allows it to go on — or something.
I understand some topics are is not nearly as entertaining as others, some being blood sports, the others, boring college lectures. Nevertheless, I’m weary of the lassitude surrounding issues of substance, the lusty glee having been diverted to the political process and the battle (often brutal, sometime corrupt), by which those who are supposed to attend our issues are elected. It’s no wonder there is so little progress.
Seriously, any excuse to post this song will do.
peace
I took the quiz yesterday and missed the last one because I talked myself out of Jonathan Edwards. I’d vote for an R.E.M. fan, otherwise agnostic with a certificate from a room on Oxford’s campus as long as she liked Bombay Sapphire.
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I imagine you could talk yourself out of anything.
Hey…wanna be my chief of staff…..
I tried when I first read about it and it was impossible to get on the site, either to take the quiz or the site to read the post about the results.
I took it while sitting waiting for the MARC this morning.
Who knew I was so well versed in religion. 15/15.
You’re right, any excuse to play Losing my Religion is a good one.
O’Donnell – I’m beginning to feel for her but it is tedious isn’t it?
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I think you had to pass that test in order to live in Italy didn’t you?
You have more faith in the people of this country than I do if you think there is no chance for O’Donnell.
Last paragraph says it for me too..
Any reason for REM, it’s been some time since I listened to them.
Don’t scare me joe, don’t scare me.
I love that song.
I, too, scored 15/15. But then, I majored in Biblical Literature. Looks like Jonathan Edwards tripped up most people.
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I think if your not familiar with that particular religious revival one might think it was a trick question involving a former and currently disgraced political candidate.
I lost my religion… I chose Billy Graham…I know…. embarrassing.
I live in Delaware, and at least on the beach O’Donnell wouldn’t have a chance, but that’s because most of the people here are from Maryland, D.C., NY, N.J. or… yeah, Russia or El Slavador.
I’m not sure about the innards…Dover is a pretty scary place.
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That is embarrassing. ;)
Dover is not a pretty place, but I’m sure the people are really nice.
stated like a true politician
I don’t believe she has a chance in hell and that is why talking about her is wasted time
I managed to get on and do the quiz; limped through with only 12 out of 15 correct. As bad as I felt about my apparent lack of religious trivia knowledge, I received some small comfort knowing that 87% of my fellow Americans know less than I; interestingly the second largest group in terms of knowledge is the Agnostics trailing only those of the Jewish persuasion, by a mere single point.
As for Tea Party candidate Ms. O’Donnell, philosophically I like the idea of “We the People” rising up against the corrupt political machine; I have concerns about being led by candidates with questionable reputations and sketchy agendas. The Tea Party may be a great knee-jerk response to a government system run amuck, but they are hardly the people you want to leave in charge of your futures. I heard a quote once that people, (or organizations/political parties) come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. The Tea Party are here for a reason, main stream parties are here for seasons, good governance should be here for a lifetime.
-Billy
“good governance should be here for a lifetime.”
You would think. On the other hand the people need to tend it, watch it and sometimes discipline it…we haven’t been willing to do that.
You’re right! Thanks for the thought provoking piece btw. For further comment I defer to Ralph:
A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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I lack knowledge of trivia related to religion, I know little about Shiva, and John Edwards? I knew I’d heard his name outside of the context of a political campaign but I dissed him in this quiz and it did me in.
O’Donnel is a looney bird, but so aren’t half the people we elect. She is crazier than Palin for sure, and luckily nowhere near a cunning.
When everyone in a crowd knows a song like this and sings it together it is so…uniting. ;)
it is trivia really and not all that significant but also a fair amount of that stuff should be common knowledge….
I bet a quiz on religion isn’t the only test that atheists would excel in. It more to do with education in general, the more learned the ore likely you are not to believe fairly tales though..coming from a family of priests and so on that is hard thing to admit.
It’s all so discouraging..
anything for a song
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“anything for a song”
you know it
I try not to follow the masses (quizzes or religion) but I’d probably score well on this one. Great song in any context.
good way to go
I missed Edwards too.
It is kind of shocking, her lies…nervy of her
Any complaint that brings up this song is ok with me.
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“nervy” is the word
I’m certain you know my opinion on religion, and that I keep repeating the point…Why stop?
Religion continues to be a tool too enforce hate, bigotry, and all forms of disruption – greed, no tolerance of others, etc….
I know people like O’Donnel, but they don’t always float to the top in lawmaking positions funded by our tax dollars.
Religion perpetuates this lack of interest in wanting to know more.
Their book tells them life is 2 dimensional. Either good or bad, black or white, nothing between.
The irony is that Atheists, and Agnostics can tolerate Religious people, but they can’t of the others, and if it came down to it the Religious people would kill all to preserve their beliefs.
As for the mountain top, all we can do (at the moment) is pray and know how pointless that is.
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I know people like O’Donnell too and no one can say they aren’t fun to have around a mixed company dinner party but……
I’ve become increasingly of the belief that the federal government should declare that it and it alone is permitted to exploit this country’s mineral wealth. No more leases whatsoever. Take every safety precaution, hire as many people as is feasible, and cut out anyone who’d cut corners.
Christene O Donnell’s claim about dabbling in witchcraft reminds me of Dark Dungeons. Claiming to have dabbled in the occult themselves is the oldest trick in the book for these fucking morons, and they almost uniformly describe the sort of shit you find in bad horror films. I very much doubt that even Satanists have blood stained alters.
I will say that I didn’t know about Edwards and the Great Awakening until I read Jeff Sharlet. The rest I was well aware of even before then I didn’t actually get to take the test before I had the answers spoiled for me. But the results of the study are entirely consistent with my experience. The people who had the most interesting things to say in the theology classes I took in high school were all atheists.
The thing that bothers me most is that this exploitation ( some of which the government has been complicit in), goes on among some this nations least educated population….they don’t have a chance in hell of fighting the good fight without someone to watch over them, and there is as of late fewer and fewer willing to do that.
The correlation between education and atheism is fairly clear.
Well, one of the interesting things about the survey is that even when you control for education, atheists fare better. And I mean, that was at a school that you needed to test into.
It wasn’t a religion test. It was a history test. I know history so…I guessed on the last one–knew it was one of two people so I had a 50% chance of being right. I was
Of course more educated people fared better. We know how to test and we probably know more history
If life was a test I would be in nirvana
If there was a nirvana life would be only a test.
I skipped the test but the tune is a great one. You musta known it would pull me out of the woodwork. Posted it a few months ago as a jab to one of the indicted bullies, and was thinking of reposting it again as a Bite Your Ass Friday selection, but I’ll go find something else. Dude plays a mean mandolin.
I’m following your drama.
Once in awhile I need to pull people out of that woodwork.
Yea that song is one of “those songs” for me.
15!!!
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’m proud of my Atheistic victory. I’m proud of my knowledge of mythology and history. Well, in the ignorants’ defense, I did take a History of Religion in the US class.
And you know what? A person who believes in talking snakes probably doesn’t want to find out too much about his or others’ religion.
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