# Atheists know more about religion (Pew) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364 "2010-09-28T16:31:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/21 "2010-09-28T18:28:02Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Saturday, yes, but the “days” in Jewish tradition are measured from sunset to sunset, so the Sabbath actually starts at sundown on friday and ends at sundown on saturday. Now of course I’m remembering Jon Stewart jokes that should have given me the required upsight. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/22 "2010-09-28T18:33:47Z")
I got a perfect score, though I had to guess on the “Great Awakening” question. Are the survey results adjusted for educational level? ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/23 "2010-09-28T18:36:59Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Are the survey results adjusted for educational level? Yes. They run multivariate regression analyses accounting for: religious affiliation, religious commitment, education level, race, gender, age and geographic region. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/24 "2010-09-28T18:56:10Z")
I only got the Great Awakening one wrong; I probably learned about it at some point but don’t recall. I think I picked Finney. I thought the other questions were pretty easy, though. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/25 "2010-09-28T19:01:20Z")
I only know the Great Awakening question because Dopers keep mixing up John Edwards, Jon Edward, and Jon Edwards. I got all the questions right too, but I take issue with a few of them. First of all, the Constitution says nothing about a “separation of church and state”. That’s just a catchphrase- a nickname- for the legal principle derived from several sources. The Constitution merely says “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.” It’s the _Jefferson Letters_ that first use the “wall of separation” verbiage. Secondly, the salvation by faith/works question varies from church to church. Reconciliation is a work, but it requires faith. Penance, also, is a work. So what do Catholics believe? By doctrine, I’d say it’s faith, not works. Different Protestant churches will teach different things, but they “mainly” preach faith as well. It’s Islam that’s big on the salvation-by-works thing, which becomes obvious when you consider that they don’t have a sacrificial-lamb character to redeem them. So I don’t know if “both” is the right answer, but I’m giving myself credit. Finally, if on the “do you happen to know the Islam holy book’s name?” question, you answered “The Koran”, you’re wrong. If you said “Quran”…you’re also wrong. The only acceptable answers to “Do you happen to know…” are “yes” and “no”. But that’s just me being a prick ;). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/26 "2010-09-28T19:12:58Z")
The Separation of Church and State is in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. It doesn’t use that exact phrase (that comes from another statement by Thomas Jefferson), but the principle is definitely in there. _Sola Fide_ is not a Catholic doctrine. That’s factually incorrect. That’s not to say grace and faith are not crucial, but they’re not sufficient. Judaism also believes in works over faith (faith is almost a non-issue in Judaism). In fact, most religions do. Protestant Christianity is fairly unique in the doctrine that belief alone is all that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/27 "2010-09-28T19:18:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > > [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > > > I missed the Sabbath question, too. Saturday is involved somehow, right? > > That’s a tricky one. Services are on Saturday, but the sabbath begins Friday at sundown. Some synagogues also do Friday night services. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/28 "2010-09-28T19:42:03Z")
15/15. Very easy. Hispanic Roman Catholic. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/29 "2010-09-28T19:45:20Z")
14/15. I missed the First Great Awakening question. I knew it took place much too long ago for Billy Graham to be involved, but got the wrong side of the 50/50 left over. Oh well. I’m an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/30 "2010-09-28T20:07:05Z")
I’m a Catholic, and I got all 32. 31 of them were VERY easy. I had to take one guess, because I was inclined to think that BOTH Hinduism and Buddhism had a concept of Nirvana. But the definition given (a state above and beyond all pain and suffering) sounded more Buddhist. As others have noted, the phrase “Separation of Church and State” is not to be found anywhere in the Constitution, but it was pretty obvious that was the answer expected. On the whole, much too easy. In parts, a bit inaccurate. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/31 "2010-09-28T20:18:01Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > > [@friedo](#): > > > > That’s a tricky one. Services are on Saturday, but the sabbath begins Friday at sundown. > > Some synagogues also do Friday night services. Very common when I was a kid. Saturday mornings were reserved for bar mitzvahs. Everyone could come of course. Friday evening services always had food afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/32 "2010-09-28T20:22:28Z")
There are four possible cases: 1. People who actually think seriously about their religion and follow it out of conviction. 2. People who don’t think seriously about their religion and follow it out of inertia. 3. People who actually think seriously about their atheism and reject religion out of conviction. 4. People who don’t think seriously about their atheism and reject religion out of inertia. Given the cultural pressures against atheism, category 4 is, to all intents and purposes, empty. The obvious result is that the mix of categories 1 & 2 averages out to a lower degree of religious education than category 3. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/33 "2010-09-28T20:23:15Z")
Bah. Keeps timing out. In one case, the link took me to a page that made me wonder if the site is currently being hacked. Several attempts - furthest I got was question 8. They seem pretty easy, but I can’t get far enough to see my score. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/34 "2010-09-28T20:32:22Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Given the cultural pressures against atheism, category 4 is, to all intents and purposes, empty… Except for the misguided population of Chick tracts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/35 "2010-09-28T21:34:52Z")
I suspect that members of minority religions have a slight advantage in quizzes like these, since they are more likely to have been exposed to their own religion and to the majority religion. It would be interesting to see a comparison of what people know about specific religions. For instance, a “How much do you know about Christianity [or Islam, or Buddhism, etc,]?” quiz, with scores broken down into Christians vs. non-Christians (or Christians vs. members of other religions vs. the non-religious). > [@Steve\_MB](#): > > There are four possible cases: > > 1. People who actually think seriously about their religion and follow it out of conviction. > 2. People who don’t think seriously about their religion and follow it out of inertia. > 3. People who actually think seriously about their atheism and reject religion out of conviction. > 4. People who don’t think seriously about their atheism and reject religion out of inertia. > > Given the cultural pressures against atheism, category 4 is, to all intents and purposes, empty. The obvious result is that the mix of categories 1 & 2 averages out to a lower degree of religious education than category 3. Yeah, but I don’t think category 4 is as empty as you claim, at least outside the Bible Belt. If religion calls on you to actually do something, the way of inertia is not to do it. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/36 "2010-09-28T21:41:42Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Yeah, but I don’t think category 4 is as empty as you claim, at least outside the Bible Belt. If religion calls on you to actually do something, the way of inertia is not to do it. On the other hand, the number of things that “case 4” atheism calls on you to actually do is zero, so it’s hard to tell whether those atheists are not doing those non things out of inertia or fanaticism. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/37 "2010-09-28T21:46:10Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Only 11% got the Great Awakening" question right. That’s below random chance. I noticed this too. I agree with you, the test was ridiculously easy. I also scored 15/15, and I’m not even an athiest! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/38 "2010-09-28T21:48:42Z")
I think the way of inertia is for religious believers simply to blow off whatever they want to blow off, not for them to become atheists. It’s a complete canard that any significant number of people become atheists because they don’t want to follow the moral dicates of religion. Religion is filled with ostensible believers who never bother to actually do anything about it. I think it’s ridiculous to suggest that there’s any mental process which involves people saying, “I don’t wish to abstain from pre-marital sex, therefore I will choose to no longer believe in God.” That’s absurd. Belief or non-belief is not a matter of volition. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/39 "2010-09-28T21:50:46Z")
Another atheist or something reporting a 15/15. I thought most of these were ninth grade Social Studies level questions. I wonder if I would have gotten the Great Awakening question right if it weren’t for **Curtis LeMay**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364/40 "2010-09-28T21:53:24Z")
Funny you should say that **Marley** , because the reason I always remember Jon Edwards is because my ninth grade English teacher (public school) made us read “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-know-more-about-religion-pew/555364.md?page=3)