# BELIEF SYSTEM SELECTOR...an exploration of world religions (TAKE THE TEST!!) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 2, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804 "2000-08-02T05:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2000, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/101 "2000-08-03T15:56:49Z")
Very interesting test, nothing like the sexual purity tests but still very interesting. Anyways, my results… Unitarian Universalist…(score = 100) Theravada Buddhist…(score = 95) Mahayana Buddhist…(score = 86) Humanist…(score = 81) Agnostic/Athiest… (score = 67) Roman Catholic…(score = 13) Islam…(score = 13) Mainline to Conservative Protestant…(score = 4) Jehovah’s Witness…(score = 0) I think this test might be a a type of conspiracy for people to look into the Unitarian Universalist church since so many people here seem to be ones… no surprise about me scoring zero for the JW’s but Scientology placed in the middle? Does this mean I have to give up my membership to The Agnostic Association? Oh yeah… here’s a (sexual) purity test for you all [http://www.armory.com/tests/500.html](http://www.armory.com/tests/500.html) ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2000, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/102 "2000-08-03T16:16:58Z")
Unitarian Universalist (score = 100) uu doesn’t sound like a religion - more like a bunch of people who don’t know **what** they believe, only that they need to belong to something. i guess that describes a lot of what religion has become these days. ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2000, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/103 "2000-08-03T17:31:50Z")
Humanist…click to learn more (score = 100) Unitarian Universalist…click to learn more (score = 94) Atheist/Agnostic…click to learn more (score = 79) Liberal Quaker…click to learn more (score = 76) Mainline to Conservative Protestant…click to learn more (score = 3) Christian Science…click to learn more (score = 3) Islam…click to learn more (score = 0) Roman Catholic…click to learn more (score = 0) No real surprises here. ---
**Author:** ![Edlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8797f3/32.png) [@Edlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/104 "2000-08-03T19:31:24Z")
The top score results were not terribly surprising. I found the first questions frustrating because they were just a bit too limiting. **Top Three** Liberal Quaker…(score = 100) Mainline to Liberal Protestant…(score = 98) Orthodox Quaker…(score = 97) **Lowest Three** Theravada Buddhist…(score = 40) Humanist…(score = 28) Atheist/Agnostic…(score = 9) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/105 "2000-08-03T19:50:11Z")
**Edlyn** Wow! We’re both Liberal Quakers! Maybe we should find a congregation… ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/106 "2000-08-04T09:00:28Z")
Ok, I took the test one more time, thinking about the questions more, and here’s what I got for the top five: Neo-Pagan…click to learn more (score = 100) Hindu…click to learn more (score = 95) New Age…click to learn more (score = 94) Unitarian Universalist…click to learn more (score = 87) Mahayana Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 85) Still, Hindu, Neo-Pagan, and New Age are the top three, but Mahayana Buddhism moved up to slot five. New Thought (which covers a lot of my beliefs, but i’m not sure if i’m down with it) is under “Liberal Quaker”. UU looked so diverse I dont think I can consider it a religion, because it seems to include every and any religion (might as well call it a debating society :)). The bottom five I got were: Seventh Day Adventist…click to learn more (score = 10) Roman Catholic…click to learn more (score = 9) Islam…click to learn more (score = 9) Jehovah’s Witness…click to learn more (score = 6) Mainline to Conservative Protestant…click to learn more (score = 3) No surprise there. I expected them all to be the last five at least. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/107 "2000-08-04T16:27:25Z")
It is curious to see how high Quakers are on many people’s lists. In Melbourne (Aust.), a city of about 3.5 million, there are perhaps two hundred semi-regular attenders. **Libertarian** and **Edlyn** , having been brought up a Quaker, I’ll give you fair warning: be prepared for quiet. No minister-type person of course, members just hop up and speak if they feel so moved. Sometimes two or three Sundays would go by without anyone saying anything. And after someone has spoken, the done thing is wait for five minutes before speaking. For all those here who’ve scored high on Quakerism, the natural Doper urge to stand up and say “piffle” would have to be suppressed. No whiteboards for little symbols either **Lib**. picmr ---
**Author:** ![JosephFinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JosephFinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JosephFinn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/108 "2000-08-04T17:21:32Z")
Dead on. I am a Reform Jew, and that was my top choice. I’m still wondering how the Church of Christ, Scientist, ended up on my list: Reform Judaism…click to learn more (score = 100) Liberal Quaker…click to learn more (score = 92) Mainline to Liberal Protestant…click to learn more (score = 87) Unitarian Universalist…click to learn more (score = 85) Bahá’í…click to learn more (score = 72) Orthodox Judaism…click to learn more (score = 71) Neo-Pagan…click to learn more (score = 64) Islam…click to learn more (score = 63) Orthodox Quaker…click to learn more (score = 61) New Thought…click to learn more (score = 55) Eastern Orthodox…click to learn more (score = 54) Roman Catholic…click to learn more (score = 50) New Age…click to learn more (score = 48) Sikhism…click to learn more (score = 44) Mahayana Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 42) Theravada Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 42) Scientology…click to learn more (score = 41) Seventh Day Adventist…click to learn more (score = 39) Mainline to Conservative Protestant…click to learn more (score = 38) Hindu…click to learn more (score = 36) Latter Day…click to learn more (score = 35) Jehovah’s Witness…click to learn more (score = 32) Jainism…click to learn more (score = 31) Humanist…click to learn more (score = 26) Christian Science…click to learn more (score = 23) ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/109 "2000-08-04T19:18:18Z")
Interesting. Top 5 Unitarian Universalist…click to learn more (score = 100) Neo-Pagan…click to learn more (score = 95) Liberal Quaker…click to learn more (score = 93) Mahayana Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 85) Mainline to Liberal Protestant…click to learn more (score = 84) Bottom 5 Roman Catholic…click to learn more (score = 28) Islam…click to learn more (score = 28) Jehovah’s Witness…click to learn more (score = 21) Orthodox Judaism…click to learn more (score = 18) Mainline to Conservative Protestant…click to learn more (score = 16) I went to the pagan selector and came up with: # 1 Druid Recommended Sites # 2 Asatru Recommended Sites # 3 Greek Recommended Sites # 4 Thelema Recommended Sites # 5 Shaman Recommended Sites # 6 Wiccan Recommended Sites # 7 Egyptian Recommended Sites Interesting. I am a practicing Druid. HUGS! Sqrl ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/110 "2000-08-05T00:07:05Z")
Top 3: Mainline to Conservative Protestant (score = 100) Latter Day (score = 96) Eastern Orthodox (score = 94) Bottom 6: Atheist/Agnostic (score = 0) Humanist (score = 0) Theravada Buddhist (score = 0) Mahayana Buddhist (score = 0) New Age (score = 0) Scientology (score = 0) UU came in at 23. Who’s lower? ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/111 "2000-08-05T02:05:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Atheist/Agnostic…click to learn more (score = 100) > Humanist…click to learn more (score = 92) > Unitarian Universalist…click to learn more (score = 91) > Mahayana Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 74) > Theravada Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 74) > Mainline to Liberal Protestant…click to learn more (score = 38) > Liberal Quaker…click to learn more (score = 34) > Neo-Pagan…click to learn more (score = 13) > Hindu…click to learn more (score = 4) > Eastern Orthodox…click to learn more (score = 0) > Roman Catholic…click to learn more (score = 0) > Mainline to Conservative Protestant…click to learn more (score = 0) > Jainism…click to learn more (score = 0) > Sikhism…click to learn more (score = 0) > Bahá’í…click to learn more (score = 0) > Islam…click to learn more (score = 0) > Orthodox Judaism…click to learn more (score = 0) > Reform Judaism…click to learn more (score = 0) > New Age…click to learn more (score = 0) > New Thought…click to learn more (score = 0) > Scientology…click to learn more (score = 0) > Latter Day…click to learn more (score = 0) > Jehovah’s Witness…click to learn more (score = 0) > Seventh Day Adventist…click to learn more (score = 0) > Orthodox Quaker…click to learn more (score = 0) > Christian Science…click to learn more (score = 0) It was accurate to a point, I suppose. I’m certainly very atheistic, and that scored highest, but since Atheism is not a religion but rather an absence of one, it’s rather inclusive in a odd way: all you have to do is not believe in god(s), what you do believe in with regards to morality or spirtuality tends not to be relavent. As for the others in my top 3, Humanism isn’t a religion either, IMHO, but regardless of that, I have some rather fundamental differences with it. UU appears to be Humanism with some religious trappings and actual congregations, so I suspect I’d have the same problems with it that I do with Humanism. I took the Pagan Path selector out of curiosity, and my results were: > [@](#): > > # 1 Asatru Recommended Sites > > # 2 Greek Recommended Sites > > # 3 Druid Recommended Sites > > # 4 Egyptian Recommended Sites > > # 5 Thelema Recommended Sites > > # 6 Shaman Recommended Sites > > # 7 Wiccan Recommended Sites As I’m not a particulary spiritual person, my answers were mostly of the “well, that’s the closest one to how I actually think, but it’s not what I personally believe” variety, but then I wasn’t expecting to get a path that actually corresponded to my beliefs, because, well, I have none. Anyways, Asatru is apparently the name for the Norse religion, which I hadn’t known prior to take the quiz. I glanced at the link page for each path, and I couldn’t figure out what the hell “Thelema” is, but ah well. Personally, my favorite pagan god has always been Ba’al, but there was no Phoencian/Canaanite path. ---
**Author:** ![CLedet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b487fb/32.png) [@CLedet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CLedet)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/112 "2000-08-05T02:33:41Z")
I don’t think any site that lists Scientology as a religion is cool. I believe the test is a poor example of how anyone should make such a choice. ---
**Author:** ![APB9999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB9999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB9999)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/113 "2000-08-05T03:33:08Z")
Atheist/Agnostic (score = 100) Humanist (score = 98) Unitarian Universalist (score = 97) Mahayana Buddhist (score = 82) Theravada Buddhist (score = 82) Mainline to Liberal Protestant (score = 65) Liberal Quaker (score = 53) Hindu (score = 19) Neo-Pagan (score = 17) Roman Catholic (score = 10) Mainline to Conservative Protestant (score = 10) Jainism (score = 10) Sikhism (score = 10) Bahá’í (score = 10) Islam (score = 10) Jehovah’s Witness (score = 10) Seventh Day Adventist (score = 10) Orthodox Quaker (score = 10) Eastern Orthodox (score = 10) Latter Day (score = 10) New Age (score = 3) Reform Judaism (score = 1) New Thought (score = 1) Scientology (score = 1) Christian Science (score = 1) Orthodox Judaism (score = 1) No real surprises. (No zeroes either!) ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/114 "2000-08-05T03:48:13Z")
My top scores were Mahayana Buddhist (100) Theravada Buddhist (100), and Unitarian Universalist (95). My lowest scores were Christian Science, Islam, and Roman Catholicism (9) -Ben ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/115 "2000-08-05T05:43:46Z")
Mine were: Mahayana Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 100) Theravada Buddhist…click to learn more (score = 88) Unitarian Universalist…click to learn more (score = 82) As there was a quick fall off after the top choice, this has stirred my curiousity. Anybody out there know what the diff is between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism? ---
**Author:** ![Edlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8797f3/32.png) [@Edlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/116 "2000-08-05T13:24:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by picmr \* > > **Libertarian** and **Edlyn** , having been brought up a Quaker, I’ll give you fair warning: be prepared for quiet. > > No minister-type person of course, members just hop up and speak if they feel so moved. Sometimes two or three Sundays would go by without anyone saying anything. > > And after someone has spoken, the done thing is wait for five minutes before speaking. Are you saying that we’re not going to be dazzled by rituals, ceremony, and the godliness of the church’s hierachy; that each of us have time to actually reflect on Him and His word? There’s room for Him in church? > [@](#): > > No whiteboards for little symbols either **Lib**. Can he bring a Etch-a-Sketch? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/117 "2000-08-05T14:39:38Z")
Heh heh. But yeah, an Etch-a-Sketch would be fine. ---
**Author:** ![nebuli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/0ea827/32.png) [@nebuli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebuli)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/118 "2000-08-05T15:30:55Z")
Atheist/Agnostic 100 Humanist 99 Unitatian Universalist 97 I tied Amok with 17 zeros, can any of the rest of you infidels top that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrMcPlad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19b73/32.png) [@MrMcPlad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMcPlad)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/119 "2000-08-05T22:41:16Z")
3 highest Latter Day…(score = 100) Mainline to Conservative Protestant…(score = 88) Jehovah’s Witness…(score = 85) 3 lowest Theravada Buddhist…(score = 23) Humanist…(score = 12) Atheist/Agnostic…(score = 6) I scored fairly highly in many religions, but it was right on, in that I am Mormon. IMHO everyone should be! It’s great! Contact your local missionaries. ---
**Author:** ![Kricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kricket)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2000, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804/120 "2000-08-06T01:23:24Z")
No big suprises here. Top three: Neo-pagan Hindu New Age Bottom three: Islam Latter Day Roman Catholic Doobieous and I are right on for our top three. I am suprised I haven’t seen Persephone yet. I did feel that most of us are similar. BTW what is the Pagan Path selector? Did I miss that when I took the test or is it a different site that I have missed in my break away from the boards? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belief-system-selector-an-exploration-of-world-religions-take-the-test/27804.md?page=7)