As I blogged yesterday, too much reporting on religion is written by people who are religiously illiterate — and, sometimes, proud of it.
Every reporter at least ought to score well on this quiz from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Go ahead, take it. Fifteen questions — it’s easy*.
Note that it is the “U.S. Religious Knowledge Quiz,” and at least two questions are specific to America’s religious history. Nothing about the Pentecostal Christians, though. Couldn’t they have worked the Azusa Street Revival into it?
Meh. “You answered 14 out of 15 questions correctly for a score of 93%.”
It was tricky question #15…
that was too easy. There was one question who’s answer was kind of based on generalised popular opinion and not quite accurate.
I’d be more general in saying the problem with most reporting isn’t so much ‘illiteracy’ with the background matter as it is in opinion editorializing and sensationalism to garner market share.
I’m dismayed at the overall low numbers, but (perhaps unfairly) amused at the surprisingly low percentage of evangelicals who got the “10 commandments” question right…
100%. I agree with Henry; that was way too easy. I worked for 13 years at a magazine of religion and mythology, though, so I probably skew the sample. But still. 41% of white Catholics and 53% of Hispanic Catholics missed the Communion question? Seriously?
15 of 15 though question 15 was a guess on my part. Despite not being American the questions concerning prayers and the bible in American schools were easy to work out.I’m a little surprised there isn’t an ‘other’ category. I wonder how Pagans do in this quiz?
I could have written this! 🙂
“Intro to World Religions” probably ought to be required curriculum for journalists. However, it seems like many people of all faiths are ignorant about even their own religion’s history.
I thought some of the questions were more about politics than religion. I am not American so I guessed. I got 13/15 right though, which is a bit crazy as I am no expert on American attitudes towards religion.
I scored 100% correct. That’s what comes of being a Pagan, reading books and articles about religion and mythology, and hanging around with folks who are vigorously active in interfaith. But reports are that Christianity alone includes 30,000 plus denominations, so I’m certain I could get 100% wrong on a different quiz.
And I note that no questions about Paganism were posed.
100% for me! I thought that was a super-simple quiz (the only one I was uncertain of was the name of the preacher involved with the ‘Great Awakening’).
Looking at the results, I’m actually kind of surprised at how few telephone respondents did well on it. (::raises fist of geek-power::)
15 out of 15. Course, I got the religion award every single year in Catholic school. And we see how well that turned out.