Belief-O-Matic -- A personality quiz about your religious and spiritual beliefs

Scrooge said:
It's hard to tell how representative these forums' contributors are of the "early retirees" set. Once a certain critical mass of like minded active community members is reached, potential otherwise eligible contributors who do not feel that they fit in may be increasingly likely to move on in search of greener pastures. Or at least avoid topics where they would expect to be in the minority.

There have been quite a few studies of conformist behavior in humans, but I don't know if any have been internet-specific. In my experience, it doesn't take much -- roughly a 60-40 ratio -- for the "minority" participants of an Internet board/forum to become reluctant to speak up when they expect to be outnumbered. I guess they just don't like to admit that they are in the minority, no matter how inconsequential it may be. Weak, pathetic creatures!

Having said that, I am sure that the quiz was in error when it identified me as a closet Mormon. It must have used a wrong session id or something! *:D
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OK, I read the whole thread and as far as I know, nobody else had these results:

1. New Age (100%) 2. Mahayana Buddhism (95%) 3. Neo-Pagan (95%) 4. Taoism (93%)

NEW AGE? Aren't they those crazy crystal people and Shirley Maclaine and such? Sheesh. And Neo-Pagan? No way. I am dying of embarrassment here.

I always thought Taoism was most consistent my spirituality. At least that came through. Mahayana Buddhism is close.

My bottom three are: 25. Islam (18%) 26. Roman Catholic (18%) 27. Jehovah's Witness (11%)

Yup.
 
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Want2Retire, I'm jealous of your results. You sound much more interesting than me.
I just happened on this thread and took the test. I was hoping for Neo-Pagan because I pictured nifty long robes, loose living, and flowers in my hair.
But instead I got:
1. Secular Humanism (100%) 2. Unitarian Universalism (91%) 3. Liberal Quakers (80%) 4. Theravada Buddhism (78%) 5. Nontheist (74%) 6. Neo-Pagan (64%)
Sounds way too logical to be fun. I guess my idolization of Mr. Spock on Star Trek overcame my status as Recovering Catholic (#26 of 27).
 
toofrugalformycat said:
Want2Retire, I'm jealous of your results. You sound much more interesting than me.
I just happened on this thread and took the test. I was hoping for Neo-Pagan because I pictured nifty long robes, loose living, and flowers in my hair.
But instead I got:
1. Secular Humanism (100%) 2. Unitarian Universalism (91%) 3. Liberal Quakers (80%) 4. Theravada Buddhism (78%) 5. Nontheist (74%) 6. Neo-Pagan (64%)
Sounds way too logical to be fun. I guess my idolization of Mr. Spock on Star Trek overcame my status as Recovering Catholic (#26 of 27).
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TooFrugal....we must be long lost twins!
 
I am on the same wavelength as want2retire
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (90%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (83%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (77%)
except I have UU instead of Taoism.

25. Eastern Orthodox (12%)
26. Roman Catholic (12%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (9%)
and Eastern Orthodox instead of Islam (it is all Middle Eastern, right).
 
bssc said:
I am on the same wavelength as want2retire
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (90%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (83%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (77%)
except I have UU instead of Taoism.

25. Eastern Orthodox (12%)
26. Roman Catholic (12%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (9%)
and Eastern Orthodox instead of Islam (it is all Middle Eastern, right).
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I had Eastern Orthodox for my fourth from the bottom, though I didn't report it. No Unitarian for me, though. More Buddhism, as I recall.

My spiritual framework is something I have come to through a lot of introspection and personal experiences... it comes from inside. Because of that, the ceremonies, customs, detailed beliefs and traditions of organized religions really don't fit, for me. I think they are beautiful but do not subscribe to them. However, I did take great comfort in attending Catholic funeral masses for Frank's uncle and father even though I did not take Communion.

I have often been curious to know if others have followed the same path or come to the same point in their spiritual beliefs, but my conclusion from these results was "no, as usual your viewpoint is pretty odd!" :rolleyes: It's good to know that SOMEONE had almost the same results!
 
toofrugalformycat said:
Want2Retire, I'm jealous of your results. You sound much more interesting than me.
I just happened on this thread and took the test. I was hoping for Neo-Pagan because I pictured nifty long robes, loose living, and flowers in my hair.
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I thought Neo-Pagan meant that I would be out in the swamp drawing circles with the rest of my coven... which is not related to my spiritual framework at all, really. I don't believe in witchcraft, because to me it is yet another organized religion, most of which assume details that are meaningless to me. I know a few Pagans and they do seem to be more into organized gatherings and rituals than I am (though I don't really know what they DO out there in the swamp, and I think I'd probably rather not know!!). One of them said he thought I was a Solitary (whatever that means). It probably means that I am an oddball or something; I am certainly not against exchanging thoughts and observations with others of like mind (if I ever found any).

Often I wonder about Druids and what their beliefs may have been, mostly because of my Scottish heritage which I guess is Celtic.
 
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Want2retire said:
IHowever, I did take great comfort in attending Catholic funeral masses for Frank's uncle and father even though I did not take Communion.

I have often been curious to know if others have followed the same path or come to the same point in their spiritual beliefs, but my conclusion from these results was "no, as usual your viewpoint is pretty odd!" :rolleyes: It's good to know that SOMEONE had almost the same results!
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Well, they would have had to refuse you communion if they knew that you were not a Catholic.

I had taken this a couple of years earlier and had similiar results but with slight changes in the order of the religions. I forget what the fourth from the bottom was but I suspect it was similar.
 
i never would have thought of myself as being in my apparent top five 1. Liberal Quakers (100%) 2. Unitarian Universalism (99%) 3. Neo-Pagan (93%) 4. Secular Humanism (91%) 5. New Age (88%) but then i never quite identified with any of the known catagories. i walk alone.

adamantly against some practices and thinking of neo-paganism & new ageism, i consider both developmentally detrimental as each works hard to feed & build ego which i find antithetical to knowing true self.

i would go as far as to blame a friend's death on new ageism because when this guy--who was so extremely successful with both career & money--contracted manageable disease, he became so determined to maintain the integrity of his believing that he created everything in his life that it only made sense to him that if he had a disease that could kill him it meant that he must want to die. and so successfully, he is dead.

paganism feeds ego in similar fashion. i have friends (& exfriends) who wish upon the moon & supposedly cast spells to direct their lives. they "put out to universe" their desires to be fulfulled. how can perceived control over nature not feed ego? what so many think of as illuminating i view as merely delusional.

immediately striking my attention upon reading my bottom five
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (26%) 24. Seventh Day Adventist (24%) 25. Eastern Orthodox (15%) 26. Roman Catholic (15%) 27. Jehovah's Witness (13%) is how steeped they are in both judgment & ceremony. similar to their paganesque counterparts, they also feed their egos only this time by summoning deity to do their bidding. which is more egotistical, controling creation or controling nature’s creator? wishing upon a star or praying to a god? asking universe to manifest for you a good job or thanking jesus for a job well done? these two groupings think they are so different from each other, but when i look at both, all i see is same.

edit: "the more convinced you are that a certain point of view is right, the more determined you should be to find proofs that it is wrong."~~aleister crowley
 
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Great post, LGNB. I hadn't really thought of it that way, but you're right. Ego-feeding is not consistent with spirituality from my point of view, either.

I also think all the ceremonies and ritual are BS (though they may be fun). But they really don't tell me anything.
 
Want2retire said:
So ARE you a Neo-Pagan?
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Depends how you define neo-Pagan. Probably more a new ager but not along the lines lazygood4nothinbum defines it. I agree with Doreen Virtue's comments about the Zen of Elbow Grease. You get offered opportunities but you have to make them work, that is part of the lesson. She also talks about how to tell if it is your ego guiding you or your higher self.

I am reminded of the joke about the man who fell overboard. He called on God to rescue him. A boat showed up and the captain offered to pull him out of the water. The man refused, saying that he was waiting on God so the boat left. Another ship came and the scene repeated. Eventually the man drowned.

When he got to Heaven, he got mad at St. Peter, asking him why had God deserted him in his hour of need. St. Peter replied, "We sent you two ships. What more did you want?"
 
lazygood4nothinbum said:
paganism feeds ego in similar fashion. i have friends (& exfriends) who wish upon the moon & supposedly cast spells to direct their lives. they "put out to universe" their desires to be fulfulled. how can perceived control over nature not feed ego? what so many think of as illuminating i view as merely delusional.
edit: "the more convinced you are that a certain point of view is right, the more determined you should be to find proofs that it is wrong."~~aleister crowley
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I think that all religions are divided between the parts that serve the ego versus the higher self/God. I can think of all the prayers to the saints or Jesus for material things. Janis Joplin captured this in Lord Won't you Buy Me a Mercedes Benz. Even Zen had its episodes, see Brian Victoria's Zen at War.
 
It's snowing today - Nat Geo had something on taboo's the other night - at 64 with grey hair and a pot belly - neo- pagan wise I sure as heck ain't gonna run around neked freezing my cojones off.

Then post Katrina now that I think about it - I'm not as big on water, wooden boats or flaming arrows as I once was - AND and the stupid doc says my blood pressure says forget the Mead - drink water, eat nuts and twigs, do phys ed and and humm to de -stress.

So how do I rejigger the test answers to get a nice comfy indoor religion with nice seats for my old age? Skip the Mercedes Benz.

heh heh heh - neo pagan my butt! :rolleyes:
 
as i already indicated & i realize this could be seen as blasphamous to both sides for i do not say this with disrespect only i can not say it if i am silent, but i don’t see considerable difference between a new ager talking to a so-called higher self or a christian praying to their so-called god and considering the answer. just as it is not unknown that god has been credited with telling people to kill—various biblical quotes, crusades, jihad, the insane and their ilk (ok, maybe that was a little disrespectful depending on which side of the knife you’re on), the list goes on--i have no doubt that in similar respect, my friend’s higher self takes responsible for his early death. he had an i.q. of over 130 and was a student of new age for decades so i’m pretty sure he didn’t go without consultation.

life is not as easy as many might prefer or have you believe (if it was, anyone could do it) and so i understand the propensity to shrug off responsibility for our own thoughts when times get tough. no one wants to sit in the dark; we want to be shown the light. no one wants to eat alone; we want communion instead. no one wants to be isolated in the world; we want the company of the spirits of our ancestors for a nice chat. no one wants to walk blindly our paths, we want an angel to guide us. as lovely as all that is, beauty fades, leaving only traces of bare & ugly truth.

you don’t have to look at it or you can make of it anything you want; for truth can be the most elusive yet malleable of all the elements. when i discuss religions i do not mean to be mean in my critique. i really do see them all as wonderful expressions of what often seems universal. they do not speak gospel verbatim to me, but i do hear the metaphors, i see how they comfort their flocks and i believe i understand the intentions. if only they did not so often clash both within themselves and with each other, clouding the very truth they claim to seek & reveal.
 
I am walking on thin ice here and too hesitant to start its own topic (sorry other moderators) but from Romney's speech today, Secularism apparently is a bad bad religion:



"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong."

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust."

and:

"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom"
 
Martha said:
I am walking on thin ice here (sorry other moderators) but from Romney's speech today, Secularism apparently is a bad bad religion:)
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Well, it was an easy target for him, an extension of the us against them, with them not the Mormons but those secular humanists who want to destroy the country.
 
Took the test and ...

... it scored me as a Secular Humanist and Liberal Quaker.

Fascinating, as that is exactly what I am (although I haven't been to Meeting for a while).

I was scored as least like a Seventh Day Adventist or evangelical fundamentalist Pentacostal ... which might explain why my daughter no longer communicates with me. :bat:
 
Martha said:
I am walking on thin ice here and too hesitant to start its own topic (sorry other moderators) but from Romney's speech today, Secularism apparently is a bad bad religion:



"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong."

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust."

and:

"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom"
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I am an active member of my church, a member of the board of trustees and I sing in the choir. I regularly pray. Yet, I would have to say that I disagree with Mr. Romney. I think it is better for all of us if religion is a private matter and the government is resolutely secular. So long as I am free to practice my religion without government interference, I am happy. I do not want or expect the government to promote my religion. For while they might be in my camp today, I want rules for the times when they are not.
 
cantlogin said:
It looks like they don't even admit to the possibility that an atheist exists.
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They really don't, and you can tell from the questions that they aren't interested in the difference between atheist and agnostic. When one of the options for so many of the questions combines "no, don't know, don't care," you know they aren't interested in people who don't believe, because those three options are actually quite different. The guy who started Beliefnet apparently thinks that any belief is better than none, and it's practically impossible to score as an atheist on that Belief-O-Matic questionnaire. You just keep coming up as Unitarian Universalist or Secular Humanist.
 
Meadbh said:
TooFrugal....we must be long lost twins!
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I wish! Then again the Canadian arm of my family, German-Catholics via Ukraine, are prolific enough to have populated most of southern Alberta, and those are just the ones I know about. I've lost track of most of them. So if you're Canadian, we may indeed be related. Even if you're not, it's likely.
 
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