Study: Atheists & Agnostics Score Highest on "Religious Knowledge"

[TiredX2]

Interesting:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_741349.html

Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups on a new survey of religious knowledge. They outperformed evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions.

If you actually go to the pew forum (link in text) you can see the actual survey if it interests you.

[Liquesce]

I think, honestly, it can be broken down as "people who find religion intellectually interesting on average tend to know more about it, and people who feel defensive against a perceived religious cultural imperative tend to know more about it." In any given culture the ambient faith -- the pervasive one that everyone just sort of belongs to as a matter of cultural norm -- is going to have a greater display of people who never really paid religion much mind, whereas populations which actively maintain a minority position or converts to a minority position are going to have relatively fewer "ambient believers" ... fewer people who don't have to think about it to claim it.

[Purple Sage]

I took the quiz that was linked in the article and got all of the questions right, and I'm a Christian (although I haven't always been one). I just find religion - all religions - to be really interesting.

[umsami]

I thought that was hilarious, actually. There was a write-up in the NYTimes as well... and there wasn't much difference between Atheists/Agnostics and Jews. Point something of a question. There weren't enough Muslims to be statistically significant. Later on in the write up they said the big issue was level of education attained over religious affiliation.

I was happy to get all of the questions right... but then again, there were a bunch of gimmes for Muslims. (OK...and I also attended a Reformed (Protestant) seminary... as well as studied Judaism and Catholicism for a few years when I considered converting. )

[philomom]

Well for me, growing up in the bible belt... the knowledge gave me some comfort.... "know thy enemy". I don't feel quite as strongly now but I have raised my kids without god and organized religion.

[EFmom]

As an atheist who has been involved with a number of different Christian religions over the years, this doesn't surprise me at all. I am fascinated by religions.

[lilyka]

I hit 80%. I missed three questions. Who the heck is Johnathan Edwards? And I clearly am sketchy on the finer points of Hinduism and Buddhism. For the most part though the questions were really really easy although I thought some of the answers could have been interpreted in different ways leading someone to get a wrong answer.

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by lilyka

I hit 80%. I missed three questions. Who the heck is Johnathan Edwards? And I clearly am sketchy on the finer points of Hinduism and Buddhism. For the most part though the questions were really really easy although I thought some of the answers could have been interpreted in different ways leading someone to get a wrong answer.

Jonathan Edwards was an early 18th Century preacher who helped start the Great Awakening.

[eclipse]

Originally Posted by lilyka

I hit 80%. I missed three questions. Who the heck is Johnathan Edwards? And I clearly am sketchy on the finer points of Hinduism and Buddhism. For the most part though the questions were really really easy although I thought some of the answers could have been interpreted in different ways leading someone to get a wrong answer.

He wrote and delivered the famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon that is held up as the epitome of fire and brimstone preaching in the 18th century US. Think horrific descriptions of what he believed would happen to the unfaithful and sinners in Hell.

[Tradd]

I got 100%.

[Smokering]

I got 100% too, but not all the questions were about religious knowledge. Two were about the church/state distinction in the USA, which I only knew from MDC - not living in the USA, it's hardly a high priority to know whether teachers are allowed to pray in schools or not. (I certainly don't know if they're allowed to in, say, Brazil or South Africa, and I don't see that that makes me religiously ignorant - politically ignorant, maybe!)

Then there was one about Mother Teresa's religion, which is more of a celebrity trivia factoid - it doesn't really say anything about one's knowledge of the tenets of Catholicism or... anything, really, other than knowing who she is. And one about the principal religion in Pakistan, which again I'd call a political/geographical/sociological question, not really a religious one. So... meh. Religious "awareness" would be a more accurate term, but even that's dubious - it was more of a general knowledge quiz, IMO. Although the Jonathan Edwards question was semi-obscure, I guess.

[lilyka]

Originally Posted by eclipse

He wrote and delivered the famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon that is held up as the epitome of fire and brimstone preaching in the 18th century US. Think horrific descriptions of what he believed would happen to the unfaithful and sinners in Hell.

gotcha.

And yeah, it seemed more like random trivia than knowing actual things about beliefs and practices of other religions.

[Thao]

I found it interesting that after the John Edwards question, the question that got the most wrong answers (only 23% of respondents answered correctly) is the one about whether it is legal to read the Bible as literature in the classroom in the US. It is, but a majority of people don't know that.

I don't consider that religious trivia. Religious knowledge includes more than the doctrines. It appropriately includes its history, major figures, where and how it is practiced in society, how it affects culture, etc. I personally think it is really important for Americans to understand how and why our Supreme Court has drawn the lines it has regarding religion in public schools, and evidently most don't (Smokering, the survey was aimed at a US audience - it is titled "US Religious Knowledge Survey").

[2xy]

Studies have also shown that a large number of people do not know how to spell atheist.

[SubliminalDarkness]

I got 100% and consider myself agnostic

To be honest, it doesn't surprise me. I am often amazed by people who don't explore much outside of themselves. My family is a big example of this.

[cappuccinosmom]

Fundy Christian...aced the 15 question quiz. I want to see the longer quiz but can't find a link???

I think it's worth reading the whole report. I am already seeing it be used (in other places) as a "See, the non-religious are so much smarter than everyone else, neener neener" sort of thing.

[akind1]

I got 100% also, but I thought most of the questions were pretty easy (though the only one I guessed at was the main religion in Pakistan)

I have always been fascinated by other religions, though I am myself a Christian. I want to know why others believe what they do, not just why they are different from Christianity (which is what mostly comes up in church) so have had to do my own study.

It doesn't surprise me that atheists/agnostics scored highly. Most people I know that are such, are because they researched and made what they felt was an educated decision. I know a lot of what some might call religious people that don't really think or research what they or others believe. They are because their friends and families are and don't give it alot of thought.

Maybe the study will spark some to do more research on their own and others beliefs.

FWIW, we read Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God in U.S. History, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes in English, and I think talked about biblical history in World History class in (public) high school. But then, I was raised in the Bible belt.

[rhiOrion]

Agnostic here. I got 100% but likely would have missed one had I not read the Jonathon Edwards thing in this thread. I have read Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God before, though.

[2xy]

Originally Posted by akind1

It doesn't surprise me that atheists/agnostics scored highly. Most people I know that are such, are because they researched and made what they felt was an educated decision.

Really?

I know a lot of atheists too, and none of them "decided" to be atheists. Did you decide to believe in Jesus? Saying it is a decision implies that you could just as easily choose not to believe. Is that true?

Try as I might, I've never managed to believe in the supernatural. Sometimes life would be more comfortable if I had those beliefs.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by Purple Sage

I took the quiz that was linked in the article and got all of the questions right, and I'm a Christian (although I haven't always been one). I just find religion - all religions - to be really interesting.

DH and I took it (both Christians...raised that way) and both missed the last question (the John Edwards one I think)

I didn't find it hard or anything...it was basic knowledge IMO.