Secular humanists of the world unite!
As you may know, I'm a sucker for the online personality quiz. Matt, Cascade, and Caden visited this weekend, and they suggested we check out the Belief-O-Matic quiz. This quiz purports to find the religious faith that's best-suited for you based on 20 multiple choice questions. No more grasping for meaning, because the internet once again delivers the goods! After you complete the quiz, it gives you a list of different faiths, and how well your answers fit each one. As it turns out, I'm a Secular Humanist, which basically means I'm an atheist, but that I think humans are inherently good (to contrast with the category "Nontheist," which seems like a more dour flavor of atheism). This wasn't particularly surprising to me, although I actually didn't even know this term until I met Anne. Apparently the "Secular Humanists" were frequently blamed by evangelicals in her hometown of all sorts of nefarious acts like removing prayer from school, higher taxes, and the inclusion of books that promote witchcraft in the school library. Seems like a group I would have common cause with, even if the name sounds like something that hasn't been in circulation since the Enlightenment.
Coming in a close second was Unitarian Universalist, which was not too surprising, either. After all, some of my best friends are unitarians ;-) I was brought up an Episcopalian, which this quiz lumps in with "Mainline to Liberal Protestants." Interestingly, this category came in 8th, below such faiths as Taoism and Neo-Pagan, whatever that one means.
So I realize that my recent blog activity would suggest I'm a poor dinner guest because I've brought up the two most taboo topics in consecutive posts: politics and religion. Hopefully you all derive some enjoyment from sorting out your political or religions quandaries from some of the personality quizzes I've linked in these posts. Where would we be without the internet, hallelujah! As for overlap between the two topics, if I'm at all representative, Dennis Kucinich has the Secular Humanist vote locked! (And in my own spiritual inventory, Mitt Romney's Mormons seem to have a distinct edge over JFK's catholics, although I have to say that Kennedy's speech wiped the floor with Romney's.)
For your reading enjoyment, here are my results with links to Beliefnet's descriptions of each faith:
| |
|
Labels: politics, religion, secular humanism
posted by Mark at 3:54 AM
6 Comments:
I'm a Theravada Buddhist! It's a pity they don't have a secular Augustinian category, because I could really embrace that. You know, something that holds that humans are slime, but that no One is keeping score.
I seem to remember an earlier conversation about religious beliefs (pre-marital discussion?) in which you and Anne rated very differently. Did I make this up? Did she take this test too? Are you going to stay together after she does?
12/14/2007 11:11 PM
I think our marriage is still secure. Anne was a unitarian, which came in second for me. I think the main difference in our earlier conversation was that she considered herself an agnostic, or even a deist in the mold of our founding fathers, while I was more willing to embrace my atheism. A subtle distinction in the grand scheme of things.
Interesting that you turned up a Theravada Buddhist. It must make you feel very meditative. (Sorry, was that disrespectful to Buddhists?)
12/21/2007 2:43 PM
Thanks for the cool blog and link.
Beau and I have been conflicted for ages. I guess that comes with uniting a lapsed Catholic and lapsed Mormon. He's a bit more buddhist centric of late while I also eschewed to agnostic/deist like Anne (very interesting).
The guilt of no religion for our kids was killing me (religion and guilt? No surprise there).
So imagine my surprise when I came up Universalist Unitarian with a close runner up Liberal Quaker (Liberal? Me? Shiver.)and Theravada Buddhist in me? Wow!
So, thanks for the impetus. I've researched a local Eastside UU church and we might be making a visit to a church for the first time in YEARS.
My brain is abuzz.
12/28/2007 11:30 PM
Sorry for lurking often and posting late. I tried this and it turned out I was a Universalist Unitarian followed by Theravada Buddhist, which I guess is interesting as I kind of skew Buddhist really. I grew up with no religion, except for some vague things my father mumbled to Roger and others about not going to Utah State University when they grew up, if that's a religion.
By the way, have you ever heard of that religion in Colorado, the central belief of which, apparently, is that when you die, John Elway hurls your soul into heaven? A friend from Denver told me that the believers are serious. Are Vikings fans like this? Would they be if the Vikes ever won? (Sorry, Mark!)
1/03/2008 11:44 PM
Heather: Glad I could serve as an unwitting accomplice to your going back to church. I've had friends who've gone to Unitarian churches. Some have had really positive experiences while others weren't quite as impressed. I'm curious to see how it goes for you!
Larry: I don't think Vikings fans have anything quite like Elway-theism. Maybe it's because Fran Tarkenton played for them so long ago, and no one since has inspired the same kind of devotion. (With all due respect to Sean Salisbury.)
On a general note, it's interesting to see how many of my friends have reported Buddhist leanings. I wonder what it all means? I'm sure there's a Zen koan in there somewhere....
1/06/2008 10:03 PM
Hey ... no wonder we get along so well. I got exactly the same score as you, Mark. -Tad
5/22/2008 11:31 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home