# Belief-O-Matic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 15, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842 "2003-01-15T22:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/1 "2003-01-15T22:44:32Z")
I have searched the archivesfor Belief-O-Matic, but did not find mention of this"test" to determine which religion most closely matches a person’s beliefs. [http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story\_7665\_1.html](http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html) The results for me indicated that I am a Liberal Christian and match most closely beliefs of the Espicopal Church, Presbyterians, Methodist, and Lutherans. Hmmm…I grew up Presbyterian, worked for the United Methodist Publishing House and became an Episcopalian. It is also interesting to see which religions I am most different from. Roman Catholic? I am amazed! I have great respect for the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and feel comfortable worshiping there with some members of my family. Care to post your results? ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/2 "2003-01-15T22:53:15Z")
My top three: 1. Liberal Quakers (100%) 2. Unitarian Universalism (100%) 3. Neo-Pagan (95%) My bottom three: 1. Eastern Orthodox (17%) 2. Islam (17%) 3. Roman Catholic (17%) I can get with that. Praise the big oozing orb. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/3 "2003-01-15T23:08:23Z")
My top three: [list=1] [li]Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants[/li][li]Reform Judaism[/li][li]Liberal Quakers[/li][/list=1] And my bottom three are: 1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) 2. Jainism 3. Jehovah’s Witness Perfect. I consider myself a liberal Protestant - although not a member of any organized religion (the Groucho Marx line comes to mind: “I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member.”) and was raised Mormon. Yep, went through the whole Mormon thing, even went on a Mormon mission, then rejected the religion many years ago and went my own way. Very interesting quiz. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuyWithPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@ThatGuyWithPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuyWithPants)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/4 "2003-01-15T23:10:10Z")
:mad: Romans 16:16 thank you very much. I’m a member of the Church of Christ and proud of it. this stupid test I said I was a Seventh Dad Adventist (100%). I am sooooooooo not a 7th day adventist. I know their doctrine as I do most of the ones on the list, and I’m personally miffed that they wouldnt have the Church of Christ on there. (and no, the Christian sciences isnt what I mean). ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuyWithPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@ThatGuyWithPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuyWithPants)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/5 "2003-01-15T23:15:15Z")
Not to say that I dont like Seventh Day Adventists. I just dont agree with their doctrine/Calvinsim. Not bashing anyone in here. Just protectin my butt from a whuppin. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/6 "2003-01-15T23:15:25Z")
1. Unitarian Universalist (100%) 2. Liberal Quakers (94%) 3. Neo-Pagan (93%) 4. Mahayana Buddhism (82%) 5. Reform Judaism (81%) Lowest matches: Eastern Orthodox (17%) Roman Catholic (17%) Jehovah’s Witness (14%) It’s interesting. First of all, no offense to anyone, but neo-pagan!? um, no. Of the remaining top 5, I have a great respect for Quakers and Buddhists. I happen to have been raised within Reform Judaism but am not currently actively practicing. Unitarian Universalism always struck me as being “The Church of Secular Humanism” – a religion for those with few religious beliefs. I don’t understand why Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism don’t even make the list? ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/7 "2003-01-15T23:16:34Z")
Um, wow, I am shocked to find that I am a Fundie. That’s odd to me. FTR, the test didn’t include my answer to two questions. One of them, which I thought was rather important, is that anyone who believes in God goes to Heaven, regardless of anything else. The closest they had was that everyone goes to Heaven no matter what. Top 5: 1. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (100%) (In the description, they call this one a Fundie.) 2. Seventh Day Adventist (98%) 3. Eastern Orthodox (95%) 4. Roman Catholic (95%) (I was born Roman Catholic) 5. Orthodox Quaker (83%) Bottom 5: 23. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (14%) 24. New Age (14%) 25. Scientology (14%) 26. Secular Humanism (12%) 27. Taoism (12%) ---
**Author:** ![cadolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cadolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/8 "2003-01-15T23:17:16Z")
My top three: 1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%) 2. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (97%) 3. Reform Judaism (84%) My bottom three: 1. Scientology (28%) 2. Nontheist (26%) 3. Hinduism (16%) ---
**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:** [January 15, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/9 "2003-01-15T23:22:53Z")
There has been a thread about this in the last few months. If I rememer correctly, I came out Orthodox or Roman Catholic. Let me check… (taking test) Well, I was close, I came up Orthodox Quaker/Eastern Orthodox/Roman Catholic. Quaker? I don’t even _like_ oatmeal that much. ---
**Author:** ![cadolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cadolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/10 "2003-01-15T23:23:36Z")
Like **Rico** I was raised Mormon. I’m not currently practicing though but was actively involved for many years. Thanks to that church, **Rico** and I met at a dance in 1974. I’m not to sure about some of the things they claim so I’m suprized about it ranking so high. But whatever, I’m so grateful without them **Rico** wouldn’t have come into my life 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/11 "2003-01-15T23:24:00Z")
Top three: Secular Humanist - 100% Unitarian Universalism - 98% Liberal Quaker - 90% Bottom three: Hinduism - 21% Eastern Orthodox - 20% Roman Catholic - 20% Interesting considering I was raised Catholic and it came up very last on my list. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/12 "2003-01-15T23:27:27Z")
My top five: 1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%) 2. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (84%) 3. Orthodox Quaker (84%) 4. Eastern Orthodox (83%) 5. Roman Catholic (83%) My bottom three: 23. Secular Humanism (33%) 24. Taoism (31%) 25. Jainism (29%) 26. Jehovah’s Witness (26%) 27. Nontheist (24%) Well, it’s obvious I believe something. It’s interesting that I’m as much Quaker as I am Fundamentalist. CJ ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/13 "2003-01-15T23:38:49Z")
1. Unitarian Universalism (100%) 2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (95%) 3. Neo-Pagan (95%) 4. Roman Catholic (52%) (I posted this one because this is how I was raised) 5. Orthodox Judaism (33%) 6. Islam (23%) 7. Jehovah’s Witness (18%) I would probably classify my self as Pagan-Catholic. (Non-practicing, highly-questioning, hippy-tree-hugger-Roman-Catholic) I just enjoy a good long catholic mass every once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/14 "2003-01-15T23:58:43Z")
Here is another [variation of the test](http://www.selectsmart.com/religion/). One of the characteristics of the test is that the “100%” score is a case-by-case variable. If I understand them correctly, it means that you clicked on all of those “answers” in the test that point to that religion – regardless if 9/10 of them also point elsewhere. The question-phrasing in both tests tends to be clumsy, though, since there are scenarios for which “I’m not sure/don’t know” is a _MAJOR difference from_ from “it’s not important” and both in turn a MAJOR difference from “does not apply”; and some beliefs are not definable on a single axis. The tests are necessarily too rigid on some things, too loose on others. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/15 "2003-01-16T00:33:15Z")
The problem I have with the test is that it equates spiritual with supernatural/divine. I think I’m an intensely spiritual person, but don’t believe in the supernatural/divine. Nothing transcends nature, IMO, but that doesn’t mean that the natural isn’t wonderful and deserving of awe, respect, or what have you. All the non-theistic options are really anti-religious, IMO. Anyway, my top 5 are: 1. Unitarian Universalism (100%) 2. Secular Humanism (98%) 3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (84%) 4. Liberal Quakers (84%) 5. Nontheist (81%) I am a Unitarian Universalist, so they pegged me there. ---
**Author:** ![Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smashed_Ice_Cream)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/16 "2003-01-16T00:42:49Z")
My top 5: 1. Orthodox Judiasm: (100%) 2. Islam (93%) 3. Sikhism (82%) 4. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (82%) 5. Jehovah’s Witness (72%) I’m a Reform Jew. Interesting test, though. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/17 "2003-01-16T01:01:03Z")
My top 3: 1. Unitarian Universalism (100%) 2. Secular Humanism (94%) 3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (83%) My bottom 3: 25. Orthodox Judaism (6%) 26. Roman Catholic (6%) 27. Seventh Day Adventist (6%) I’m an atheist, and was raised Catholic. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/18 "2003-01-16T01:17:12Z")
The top three: 1. Eastern Orthodox (100%) 2. Roman Catholic (100%) 3. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (92%) The bottom three: 4. Secular Humanism (12%) 5. New Age (11%) 6. Taoism (10%) I’m RC, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/19 "2003-01-16T01:42:50Z")
My top three: 1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%) 2. Bahá’í Faith (94%) 3. Reform Judaism (93%) My bottom three: 25. Taoism (36%) 26. Hinduism (29%) 27. Nontheist (20%) ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842/20 "2003-01-16T02:08:51Z")
Top three: 1. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (100%) 2. Orthodox Quaker (99%) 3. Seventh Day Adventist (94%) Bottom three: 25. Secular Humanism (18%) 26. Taoism (18%) 27. Scientology (17%) I’m kinda surprised it pegged me that exactly. **Cessandra** , I had the same complaint. I just didn’t check anything and put it as high importance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-o-matic/148842.md?page=2)