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What religion most reflects your views: Belief-O-Matic Quiz with poll (updated)

Choose your favourite belief or religion

  • Agnosticism

    Votes: 114 17.0%

  • Atheism

    Votes: 124 18.5%

  • Buddhism

    Votes: 129 19.3%

  • Christianity

    Votes: 74 11.1%

  • Hinduism

    Votes: 16 2.4%

  • Islam

    Votes: 10 1.5%

  • Judaism

    Votes: 15 2.2%

  • Pagan & Earth-Based

    Votes: 52 7.8%

  • Taoism

    Votes: 47 7.0%

  • Other belief

    Votes: 89 13.3%
  • Total voters
    669
I picked Christian in the poll, but in my daily life I'd have to say my beliefs more closely resemble a Christian mystic, or nontraditional Christian. I don't believe Christ was any more supernatural than you or I, I think Mary had sex in order to conceive him, but he is sort of a spiritual superhero, along with other figures like Muhammad, Buddha, MLK Jr., Gandhi, etc. Some people are just in touch with the spiritual force within us all, and gain the charisma to help guide people to the right path.

Most aspects of religious rules and dogma I disagree with. I agree with morality and ethics, "do unto others," etc. But you go to hell for eating shellfish? Not likely. I would rather suffer than cause suffering, and I believe suffering can be a very powerful spiritual experience should it be approached in this regard. I don't believe in abortion or euthanasia but would never tell someone else to not choose these options in their own lives.

These are my belief.net results (top five only):

1. Unitarian Universalist (100%)
2. Liberal Quakers (93%)
3. Mahayana Buddhism (89%)
4. Neo-Pagan (89%)
5. Mainline to liberal Christian Protestants (89%)
 
I voted pagan-earth based. Im not wicca or anything but with active kundalini going on within me i feel more connected to the earth. But im pretty sure my personal belief system has could have traits from ever last option given.
 
I cannot take that test at http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html
due the the "value of importance" option. I believe what i believe. Value of importance has absolutely no relevance.

Well i TRIED to take it. I just selected importance as High for every question.


I find the results to be a joke. The problem with the poll is that the questions are too generalized and assume too much about the person taking them.

Example: The question "Does Satans presence cause suffering". WTF? Define satan please. To me satan is mans own selfish evil desires. To other people they believe satan is a real fallen angel. Anyway, the poll is frivolous.

1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100% ya right. 8) 100% wrong.
2. Unitarian Universalism (96%
3. Liberal Quakers (89%
4. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (82%
5. New Thought (81%
6. Hinduism (80%
7. Bah Faith (78%
8. Mahayana Buddhism (75%
9. New Age (70%
10. Neo-Pagan (67%
11. Taoism (57%
12. Theravada Buddhism (56%
13. Reform Judaism (52%
14. Sikhism (52%
15. Jainism (48%
16. Jehovah's Witness (47%
17. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (45%
18. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (44%
19. Orthodox Quaker (43%
20. Scientology (42%
21. Orthodox Judaism (36%
22. Seventh Day Adventist (31%
23. Secular Humanism (28%
24. Eastern Orthodox (22%
25. Islam (22%
26. Roman Catholic (22%
27. Nontheist (15%
 
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crystalcallas said:
Although i was baptized roman catholic, and still go to mass once in a while...i firmly believe i am a Buddhist at heart (this does not mean i do not pray to God,or i am at a crossroads between buddha and God...as a matter of fact, my knowledge and practice of Buddhism is not a replacement for the christian way of life that i grew up with; on the contrary, it enriches and enhances my spiritual life as a whole ..) Zen and Buddhism is just so right for me. Ive studied it many years back, and little by little i see how it fulfills me as a person...and how it continuously leads me towards the path of Enlightenment. Unlike the rigidity and uncompromising teachings ive known most of my life as a Catholic ,(i respect my faith, but i do not adhere to everything it says ..not at all. Im a very lax catholic, very open minded..none of that extremist bullshit; that i can be this way and still respect my religion is a sort of personal challenge i thankfully have mastered without resorting to being BITTER or agnostic..). On the other hand, the basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion....now THIS is the way id like to eventually attain inner peace and my own personal nirvana...more so than what i have learned in Christian schools or by reading the Bible. Now i can say i have truly made MY OWN adult choices regarding my religion(s) and Buddhism has given me an inner peace i was not able to experience during ALL my years of studying in strict catholic schools! doh!
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:) I have not changed.
 
IAmJacksUserName said:
(When was the last time there was a Buddhist crusade?)
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Buddhist societies engage in war. The samurai of medieval Japan were Zen practicioners who dedicated their entire lives to warfare. China has a large Buddhist population, as does Vietnam, and Japan... all societies that have engaged in warfare. Westerners tend to idealize and exoticize Eastern religions... only looking at their ideals as opposed to how they work out in reality. In theory Christianity is about radical nonviolence to the point of choosing death over retaliation. Christian societies go to war, and many people wrongly attribute it to some war-like aspect of Christianity.
 
same w/ Islam though since Muhammad was a military conqueror its a little less cut and dry. still, the ideal is that the only real jihad is the jihad within, the struggle between good and evil within every person
 
Ever since this thread opened, i've always found the title rather humourous for some reason.

edit...
Christian Soldier said:
No, that was just the title of the thread in jest.
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oh forgot about that.... man it's been 2 YEARS! 8o
 
DarthMom said:
I have taken this many times over the years and it is almost always 100% liberal quaker. The funny thing is, I thought this last time, I had changed quite a bit since my last time I took it about a year ago. guess not.


I didn't know anythign about quakers before taking this a few years back. I assumed it was a rigid, dogmatic, strict fundie type belief
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ok, did it yet again, and again, 100% liberal quaker, and 99% neo pagan.

that sux, i wanna be full fledged pagan, i don't think quakers dance around the full moon naked while ingesting exotic herbs like belladonna :D

srsly though....i thought quakers were christians, and i don't even believe that christ lived. this is a stupid poll :p
 
Taoism for sure. It's a belief system that really puts us in our place and humbles us, I feel. It implies that although we are precious entities, our intelligence and self-awareness is fallible and not quite up to the task of comprehending the ultimate reality at the source of everything. We are arrogant if we think we can exert control over the universe -- we are products of it, and we have to accept where it's taking us.

If I could sum up the Taoist attitude on the world in one short sentence, it's "I accept." And I find that to be a good attitude -- the more accepting (not resigned!) you are of the way things are, the freer and happier you ultimately are. It's like being tied up with a rope: if you thrash and struggle you'll only pull the knots tighter, and won't get any closer to freeing yourself. But if you first calmly accept the fact that you're tied up, you're on your way to working with the rope, and perhaps even rationally figuring out a way to undo it.

Read Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) if you ever get a chance -- he's my favorite ancient philospher, because he showed that the only difference between despair in the human condition and lasting contentment is one of perspective.

Interestingly enough, I remember my Chinese professor saying that, according to legeng, Zhuangzi's outlook brightened considerably only after he got his alcoholism under control.
 
If I could sum up the Taoist attitude on the world in one short sentence, it's "I accept." And I find that to be a good attitude -- the more accepting (not resigned!) you are of the way things are, the freer and happier you ultimately are. It's like being tied up with a rope: if you thrash and struggle you'll only pull the knots tighter, and won't get any closer to freeing yourself. But if you first calmly accept the fact that you're tied up, you're on your way to working with the rope, and perhaps even rationally figuring out a way to undo it.
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Good post that, I believe in I dunno what but for sure *non attatchment* (similar to what the above is about to me) is a good way to be happier, of course I cannot claim to have perfected it but it can be a big help.




zophen
 
ninjadanslarbretabar said:
??? what the....
where is science and shamanism

my belief came through the use of entheogen
and my religion is music
funny but im serious !
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It's OK, it will pass. The drugs will wear off, and the music will end. It's what is inside......

1. New Age (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (96%)
3. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (91%)
4. New Thought (90%)
5. Unitarian Universalism (87%)
6. Scientology (86%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (78%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (74%)
9. Liberal Quakers (72%)
10. Taoism (65%)
11. Hinduism (65%)
12. Theravada Buddhism (63%)
13. Secular Humanism (45%)
14. Reform Judaism (43%)
15. Sikhism (43%)
16. Bah�'� Faith (37%)
17. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (34%)
 
"the music will end"
sorry but what does that mean..?
(it seems to me that music came before any religion anyway)

oh, btw. do you people dont take science as a belief system or what ?
 
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ninjadanslarbretabar said:
(it seems to me that music came before any religion anyway)
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???what??? The universe "was" well before man created music..... that's scientifically proven :p

Science doesn't answer the questions religion and spirituality ask. And using drugs does not answer them either. I've had spirtual "awakenings" on drugs, but they all passed. They usually passed when I came down from whatever drug I was on. The truths I came to find on drugs were truths that were externally motivated, while I the truth I live today comes from within me; I am the same without drugs, without music.
 
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I've been an Atheist since before I knew what the word meant. I can remember being forced to go to church in my childhood days, and I think ever since then, I've hated the idea of organized religion. And pretty much abandoned the idea that there could be any kind of supreme being. Well, abandoned might not be the right word, 'cause I never believed it in the first place.
 
carl said:
???what??? The universe "was" well before man created music..... that's scientifically proven :p

Science doesn't answer the questions religion and spirituality ask. And using drugs does not answer them either. I've had spirtual "awakenings" on drugs, but they all passed. They usually passed when I came down from whatever drug I was on. The truths I came to find on drugs were truths that were externally motivated, while I the truth I live today comes from within me; I am the same without drugs, without music.
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But did religeon start at the start of the universe?
 
dada said:
But did religeon start at the start of the universe?
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religion is an invention of man. I don't know of any doccuments to back up my statement, but I'll bet that man had judgements and beliefs about the universe before he started to create 'music for pleasure', instead of 'noise for communication'. Thus, you have what can loosely be called religion by the parameters used in this thread.

I don't put any value in religion personally. I go to an episcopal churh rarely, and have very spiritual beliefs that are not centered on any religion, but rather observation, experience, science, and intuition.

And i believe that energies were present prior to man's awarness of them. The universe "is", there is no time attached to it. so you question is fundamentally flawed.

If I were asking the question, I'd pose it this way:
"Was there spiritual energy before man tapped into it?"
or if this is more what you are getting after
"Was the universe created by 'God"?"
or....
"If religion is an invention of man, and man is falliable, why do you belive his lies?"

1. Yes
2. The universe and god are not seperate eneties
3. I don't believe in religion, i know my own spirituality

do ask for clarity if you want it.... but be specific
 
^^^ beautifully put, carl. Someone recently defined me as a pantheist, and I've found that label actually fits fairly well.
 
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