Friday, February 22, 2008

What Religion Am I?

I was reading Rachel's blog tonight and saw her post about a short test that will tell you what religion most closely matches your beliefs. My results are posted below. I really don't know what to say about them, because I'm not religious. I am very deeply spiritual but have just never found my home in a particular religion. That's not to say that someday I won't; it's just that right now I am free-flowing, not limiting myself to where I learn wisdom from. My beliefs and thoughts are not set in stone right now, and I've noticed that they've made small shifts just in the course of a year. When I'm older, this could all change. I've heard that people become more firm in their beliefs as they age, or more settled.

The test can be found here: http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/ I'd be interested in hearing either your thoughts about my results or your own results.

1. New Age (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (93%)
3. Mahayana Buddhism (90%)
4. Liberal Quakers (89%)
5. Neo-Pagan (89%)
6. New Thought (89%)
7. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (84%)
8. Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (77%)
9. Taoism (77%)
10. Scientology (73%)
11. Theravada Buddhism (73%)
12. Hinduism (69%)
13. Secular Humanism (69%)
14. Bahai (63%)
15. Reform Judaism (63%)
16. Orthodox Quaker (57%)
17. Sikhism (52%)
18. Jainism (48%)
19. Non-theist (40%)
20. Orthodox Judaism (35%)
21. Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (30%)
22. Islam (29%)
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (28%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (22%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (18%)
26. Roman Catholic (18%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (15%)

16 comments:

Unknown said...

You are your religion. Golf game does not get better if you join the country club. When you practice love and become one with the spirit in the way you feel that is doing its own good to help you teach and learn then you know that this is where you are to be.
I love your site.

Anonymous said...

Dave, I love your comment. This is so much of what I am experiencing myself. I am looking to others to tell me the answers that I can really only provide for myself.

Yes, practicing love seems to be key for me also. Life teaches me what I need to learn. And it is not supposed to be easy. I guess.

Sophia, all I know is that you are influencing me through your blog and through your comments on my blog. It is your incredible openness, compassion and love that affects me.

Have faith in yourself and your path, and I will try to do the same.

Alexander M Zoltai said...

I am almost dumbfounded !

I'm a Baha'i and here are my results:


1. Bahai (100%)
See selected books about Bahai. Click here for info
2. Sikhism (93%)
See selected books about Sikhism. Click here for info
3. Orthodox Judaism (90%)
See selected books about Orthodox Judaism. Click here for info
4. Reform Judaism (90%)
See selected books about Reform Judaism. Click here for info
5. Jainism (88%)
See selected books about Jainism. Click here for info
6. Hinduism (86%)
See selected books about Hinduism. Click here for info
7. Mahayana Buddhism (85%)
See selected books about Mahayana Buddhism. Click here for info
8. Unitarian Universalism (84%)
See selected books about Unitarian Universalism. Click here for info
9. Islam (82%)
See selected books about Islam. Click here for info
10. Liberal Quakers (82%)
See selected books about Liberal Quakers. Click here for info
11. Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (71%)
See selected books about Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants. Click here for info
12. Neo-Pagan (69%)
See selected books about Neo-Pagan. Click here for info
13. Theravada Buddhism (69%)
See selected books about Theravada Buddhism. Click here for info
14. New Age (67%)
See selected books about New Age. Click here for info
15. Orthodox Quaker (61%)
See selected books about Orthodox Quaker. Click here for info
16. Scientology (60%)
See selected books about Scientology. Click here for info
17. New Thought (56%)
See selected books about New Thought. Click here for info
18. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (48%)
See selected books about Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist). Click here for info
19. Eastern Orthodox (48%)
See selected books about Eastern Orthodox. Click here for info
20. Roman Catholic (48%)
See selected books about Roman Catholic. Click here for info
21. Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (45%)
See selected books about Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant. Click here for info
22. Seventh Day Adventist (44%)
See selected books about Seventh Day Adventist. Click here for info
23. Taoism (39%)
See selected books about Taoism. Click here for info
24. Secular Humanism (31%)
See selected books about Secular Humanism. Click here for info
25. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (30%)
See selected books about Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). Click here for info
26. Jehovah's Witness (30%)
See selected books about Jehovah's Witness. Click here for info
27. Non-theist (15%)
See selected books about Non-theist. Click here for info

Anonymous said...

I took the test and it reported that I am most aligned with "New Thought". I had never heard of it before.

Vincent said...

I thought the test revealed a very strange idea of religion. I mostly put non-applicable. Came out with Theravada Buddhism on top.

Sophia said...

Dave,

Thank you. I like your site, too! I'm going to link to it. I've been to it before, and when I bumped into it again I knew it was meant for me to read more of it.

It was probably my own flawed sense of need of belonging that made me ponder joining a religion. Why do some of us feel so strongly this need to belong to something? To have a place to call home? Without a religion, it is at times like living with a name to call myself. But maybe it's best not to be labeled after all.

Thanks for visiting. I know we'll see more of each other. :)

Sophia said...

Thanks, Suze. Together we can do it. :) We can be each other's inspiration. By seeing a little bit of each other in the other, we've already come a long way.

Sophia said...

Alex,

It seemed to me that the test did very well at knowing who I was. I don't know if the test was testing me or if I was testing the test. But whatever the case, I think the test did a good job!

Do you feel that the other results are in alignment with who you are?

Sophia said...

Mossy,

I've delved into reading New Thought texts in the past. You might find them interesting. Here's a quick link to some:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/index.htm

I remember enjoying parts of _In Tune With the Infinite_ by Ralph Waldo Trine. I think I posted a bit of it on my blog some time ago.

Sophia said...

Vincent,

Do you feel that Theravada Buddhism was an accurate portrayal?

Alexander M Zoltai said...

"Do you feel that the other results are in alignment with who you are?"

The percentages do seem to reflect some of my "prefrences for study" although as a Bahá'í I work hard to abide by this View:

"Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship."

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 95

Vincent said...

No, Sophia. I am not a theravada buddhist.

I did another questionnaire the other day, which invited you to discover which famous leader you were most like. First I took the short test. It said I was like Mahatma Gandhi. So I thought that was quick. I'll take the full-length test. It said I was like Adolf Hitler (I think from my answers to questions about a sense of being persecuted, rather than any inclination to liquidate my imagined persecutors.)

I think all questionnaires have silly questions.

Sophia said...

Alex,

I'm simpatico with the Bahá'í faith, mostly because of how accepting they are of other religions. :)

Sophia said...

Hehee, Vincent. Gandhi and Hitler - that's quite a sharp contrast!

I guess you're right about the Theravada Buddhism. When I think of you I can't really think of a fitting religion. That's OK, because it means you're at least being yourself.

One of the reasons I don't belong anywhere, I think, is because belonging might mean I'd have to shift my beliefs or thoughts in order to remain contained within that religion.

So let's just be ourselves and belong to the world of nonbelonging. That's good enough for me!

Anonymous said...

awesome test
but i think that more religions should be included
i find myself adhering to unificationism and pantheism
both of which neither mentioned nor related to my 100% [Unitarian Universalism]

Sophia said...

Anonymous,

I'm happy that you enjoyed it. However, it wasn't written by me. I just linked to it! :)

I've not heard of unificationism. I'll have to Google that word, I'm afraid. But by the sound of it, I think it is great! (It seems similiar to the word "unity" or to unify.)