The document contains 62 multiple choice questions about various world religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Shintoism, Confucianism and Taoism. The questions cover topics such as religious beliefs, practices, sacred texts, history and demographics.

1. 1. The goal of Hindu religion is to attain:
A. Yoga
B. Nirvana
C. Moksha
D. Samsara
2. In the religious tradition of India, the doctrine of non-
violence is called
A. Karma,
B. Yoga,
C. Ahimsa,
D. Atman2
3. In the Indian Pantheon, the deity par excellence of
intellectuals, writers and
artists is
A. Brahman
B. Kali
C. Sarasvati
D. Vishnu
4. In the Indian Caste system, the word “Varna” means
A. Birth
B. Race
C. Color
D. Breed
5. The oldest Hindu Sacred Text is known as
A. UPANISHAD
B. RAMAYANA
C.VEDA
D. BHAGAVAD GITA
6. In China the notion of God is referred to as

2. A. TIEN
B. KAMI
C. TIEN-MING
D. YIN-YANG
7. Most Hindus belong to two major religious groups, divided
into the worship of
one of the following deities
A. BRAHMAN and BRAHMA
B. SHIVA AND KRISHNA
C. VISHNU AND SHIVA
D. KALI AND BRAHMAN3
8. “Mortal men believe that gods are begotten, and that they
have the dress, voice,
and body of mortals. The Ethiopians claim that their gods are
snub-nosed and
black; the Thracians, that theirs are blue-eyed and red-headed.
If Oxen, horses, or
lions had hands with which to sketch and fashion works of art
as men do. Then
horses would draw the forms of gods like horses, oxen like
oxen, and they would
each make their gods’ bodies similar in frame to the bodies that
they themselves
possess… No! One god there is, greatest among gods and
humankind, in no way
like mortals in body or in the thought of his mind. In his
entirety, he sees; in his
entirety, he thinks; in his entirety, he hears. Always in the same
place, he remains,
moving not at all; it is not fitting that he should shift about now
here and, then,
elsewhere. But holding aloof from toil, he sets all things
aquiver with the thought of

3. his mind.”
This view was formulated by the following ancient Philosopher
A. Socrates
B. Plato
C. Xenophanes
D. Aristotle
9. Etymologically the word Nirvana means
A. Paradise in Buddhist religion
B. Eternal Life
C. to “cool off” or blow out the fire of passion
D. Enlightenment
10. Identify the assertion that is correct:
A. Religious tolerance was invented by the US Bill of Rights
and by the
American Founding Fathers
B. Religious tolerance was already promoted in India before the
birth of Jesus and
in many other parts of the world
C. Religious Tolerance is a Western idea promoted by the
American “Melting
Pot,” but unknown to other countries, especially those ruled by
non-democratic
governments
D. Religious Tolerance was invented by the United Nations’
Declaration of
Human Rights
11. At the beginning of the 20th century almost 80% of the
world’s Christians
were Caucasian, and just over 80% lived in Europe and North
America. However
now Christianity has become a “third world religion.” Indeed,
now white
Christians constitute only about

4. A. 50% of world Christianity
B. 43%
C. 60%
D. 20%4
12. Identify the assertion that is false
A. Islam teaches that there is still sexual activity in Heaven
B. Christians believe that there is no marriage and no sexual
activity in Heaven
C. Buddha is the God of Buddhists
D. Christians believe in the resurrection of the body
13. Judaism changed radically from Biblical Hebrew practices
to Rabbinic
Judaism when the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Romans in
A. 90 B.C.E.
B. 90 A.D.
C. 70 B.C.E.
D. 70 C.E.
14. Identify the assertion that is true
A. There are more Christians in Africa than in North America
(i.e. US and
Canada)
B. In the US, most Arab immigrants are Muslim
C. The US is the most religiously diverse country in the world
D. In the US there are less Atheists than members of all non-
Christian religions
combined.
15. The top 4 Christian countries in the world (in 2005-2007)
were
A. USA, England, China, Brazil
B. USA, China, Canada, Brazil

5. C. USA, Brazil, China, Mexico
D. USA, Mexico, Brazil, China
16. According to most researchers, in less than 50 years (around
2050) the
majority of the top ten Christian countries in the world will be
found in
A. Europe
B. Asia
C. Latin America
D. Africa
17. Around 50% of all Christians (in the world) are
A. Protestant
B. Orthodox
C. Catholic
D. Anglican5
18. The Ancient Hindu practice of burning alive
the widow on the funeral pyre of her dead husband is called
A. Sati,
B. Purdah,
C. Samskara,
D.Bhakti
19. Identify the assertion that is false
A. Hindu women won the right to vote in advance of British
women
B. the word Vedanta means “the end of the Vedas” and is
applied to the
Upanishads
C. Gandhi’s spirituality was influenced largely by his reading of
Baghavad Gita,
rather than the Bible or the Koran
D. The Indian caste system kept women below men in such a

6. way that women
gained the right to vote only thanks to the emancipatory force of
Christianity
introduced by British missionaries. British women were
emancipated and gained
the right to vote several years before Indian women.
20. In the USA, all non-Christian religions combined (including
Judaism, Islam,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Santeria, Wicca, etc) constitute around
A. 10% of US population
B. 5% of US population
C. 15% of US population
D. None of the above
Note: Atheists are not considered here
21. Identify the assertion that is false:
A. The Laws of Manu were compiled by the Brahmins between
200 BC and 200
CE
B. The Sacred texts of Shintoism were written almost 700 years
after the birth of
Jesus
C. Confucius taught the Golden Rule more than 400 years
before the birth of
Jesus
D. The Bible is the oldest sacred text in the world
22. The “Analects” are the sacred text of the following religion:
A. Taoism
B. Confucianism
C. Mahayana Buddhism
D. Shintoism6
23. The word YOGA is derived from the Sanskrit root YUJ
which literally means

7. A. To meditate
B. To follow a spiritual discipline
C. To join
D. To pursue a goal
24. The following religions never produced a US President,
except:
A. Quakerism
B. Pentecostalism
C Lutheranism
D. Orthodox Church
25. In Hinduism the notion of a God beyond attributes, a God
beyond personlike
qualities is known as
A. Saguna Brahman
B. Nirguna Brahman
C. Kalki
D. Brahma
26. “Mirror” is used as an important religious symbol in the
following religion:
A. Taoism
B. Confucianism
C. Jainism
D. Shintoism
27. In the practice of Yoga, the highest state of concentration or
meditation, when
the mind is one with the divine is known as
A. Sadhu
B. Sannyasin
C. Samadhi
D. Samsara
28. Members of the lowest caste group once called

8. “untouchables” were renamed
“harijans” by Mahatma Gandhi.
This word “Harijans” means
a.Redeemed ones
b.Sons of Brahmin
c.God’s chosen ones
d.Children of God7
29. The Bhagavad-Gita is a section of the following corpus of
Hindu sacred texts:
A. Vedas
B. Vedanta
C. Mahabharata
D. Ramayana
30. The word “Buddha” means
A. God
B. Savior,
C. The Enlightened one,
D. A prophet
31. The Chinese philosophy of “following the wisdom of water”
or “inactive
action” is known as
A. WEN
B. WU-WEI
C. TIEN
D. TIEN-MING
32. Identify the assertion that is false
A. The word Jain means “victor”
B. Jainism rejected asceticism
C. Jainism is the religion of non-violence par excellence
D. Sikhism attempted to reconcile Sufi Islam and Hinduism

9. 33. The notion of apophatic theology applies well to the
following Taoist
statement:
A. The Tao that can be expressed is not the Eternal Tao
B. "Govern a great State as you would cook a small fish”
C. Do away with learning, and grief will not be known.
D. Do away with sageness and eject wisdom, and the people
will be more
benefited a hundred times.
34. "Govern a great State as you would cook a small fish.” This
wise statement is
attributed to
A. Confucius
B. Jesus
C. Lao-Tzu
D. Buddha8
35. The Chinese vision that the teachings of Buddhism,
Confucianism, and
Taoism constitute one single religion is referred to by the
following notion
a.Feng-shui
b.San-jiao heyi
c.Shun-Tzu
d.Wu-wei
36. The Chinese religious art that involves determining the Yin-
Yang “bearings”
of locations for houses, businesses, tombs, and temples, as well
as the
arrangements of rooms and the objects within them is known as
a.Feng liu
b.Feng-shui
c.Daijo-sai
d.San-jiao heyi

10. 37. Identify the assertion that is correct
According to the Chinese “Yin-Yang” theory,
A. Yin is male and symbolized by the dragon
B. Yin is female and symbolized by the tiger
C. Yang is female and symbolized by the dragon
D. Yang is female and symbolized by the tiger
38. In the US, people who do not believe in God (agnostics and
atheists)constitute around
A. 1 percent of the total US population
B. 10 percent
C. 20 percent
D. None of the above
39. Around 80% of Japanese population practice
A. Shintoism and Confucianism
B. Buddhism and Confucianism
C. Buddhism and Shintoism
D. Shintoism and Christianity
40.The most important supreme deity of Japan is
A. Kami
B. Jimmu Tenno
C. Amaterasu
D. Magokoro9
41. The Art of Peace is known in Chinese spirituality as
A. Yin-Yang
B. Wen
C. Wu-Wei
D. Tao
42. President Obama is
A. a Muslim
B. a Christian

11. C. an Agnostic
D. an Atheist
43. The following President belonged to the same branch of
Christianity as Martin
Luther King.
A. Jimmy Carter
B. Bill Clinton
C. Barack Obama
D. Georges Bush
44. Critical thinking is not antithetical to faith. In fact it has a
solid foundation in
the Bible itself, especially in the following texts:
A. 2 Peter 3, 13-17 and 1 Peter 1, 1-11
B. 1Timothy 1, 3-11 and 2 Timothy 3,16
C. 1 Cor 13, 1-13
D. None of the above
45. “Man makes Religion, religion does not make man…
religion is the opium of the people.” These words have as
author.
A. Max Weber
B. Karl Marx
C. Nietzsche
D. Machiavelli
46. “In reality, there are no religions which are false. All are
true in their own
fashion; all answer, though in different ways, to the given
conditions of human
existence.”
This statement was formulated by the following scholar of
religion:
A. Max Weber
B. Emile Durkheim

12. C. Clifford Geertz
D. Sigmund Freud10
47. “What the privileged classes require of religion is the
psychological
reassurance as to the legitimacy or deservedness of their
economic status.”
The author of this statement is .
A. Karl Marx
B. Max Weber
C. Auguste Comte
D. Sigmund Freud
48. The attitude of attributing to God human qualities and vices
is known as
A. Iconoclasm
B. Blasphemy
C. Marcionism
D. Anthropomorphism
49. Sati was made illegal in India
A. after independence in 1947
B. in 1829
C. in 1929
D. in 1729
50. Hindu spirituality teaches that genuine religious people
must “act for the
welfare of the world.” This spiritual ideal is known as
A. Ahimsa
B. Lokasangraha
C. Satyagraha
D. Karma
51. The word “Religion” comes etymologically from the
following language

13. A. Greek
B. Hebrew
C. Latin
D. Sanskrit
52. “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion; this
right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and
freedom, either alone
or in community with others and in public or private, to
manifest his religion or
belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
This words are found in the following document
A. US Declaration of Independenc
B. The US Bill of Rights
C. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 18
D. The 2nd article of the Charter of the United Nations11
53. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.”
These words are found in the following document:
A. the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
B. the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
C. the U.S. Declaration of Independence
D. the introduction to the US Constitution
54. People are forbidden the farm the land for fear of destroying
life in the
following religious tradition
A. Taoism
B. Confucianism

14. C. Buddhism
D. Jainism
55. Japan is a melting pot of religious ideas; its traditional
religious landscape is
largely influenced by spiritualities from
A. England and the United States
B. China and India
C. China and the US
D. China and Germany
56. Although the spirituality of non-violence is found in almost
all the major
religions developed in India, it found its most radical
expression in the following
religious tradition
A. Hinduism
B. Sikhism
C. Jainism
D. Buddhism
57. The traditions of “Naked Saints” is largely found in the
following religion
A. Buddhism
B. Sikhism
C. Jainism
D. None of the above12
58. Identify the US President who was at some point in his life
a Jehovah’s
Witness
*A. Dwight D. Eisenhower
B. Herbert Hoover
C. Richard Nixon
D. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
59. The fundamental religious ideal in Shinto spirituality is

15. Magokoro .
This word means
A. Balance and Harmony with nature
B. Rituals of purification from evil spirits
C. Pure heart
D. loving the deities and offering them sacrifices regularly
60. Identify the assertion that is correct
A. The first national Shinto shrine was established in Tokyo
during the 6th century
B.C
B. Shinto was created as a religion during the 6th century A.D.
C. In Japan Christians constitute around 8% of the population
D. The sacred texts of Shinto were written during the 8th
century A.D.
61. The current US senate is largely dominated (in a
demographic sense) by members
from the following religious traditions:
A. Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, and Mormonism
B. Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Buddhism, and Judaism
C. Judaism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and the
Orthodox Church
D. Judaism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Islam
62. With regard to Christianity, the current 112th US Congress
is largely dominated (in a
demographic sense) by members from the following Christian
Churches
A. Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches
B. Episcopal, Presbyterian and Luther Churches
C. Lutheran, Pentecostal, and Episcopal Churches
D. Catholic, Mormon, and Orthodox Churches13
63. From 1961 to 2011 the religious landscape trend shows that
the US Congress has
been largely dominated (in a demographic sense) by members

16. from
A. The Episcopal Church
B. The Catholic Church
C. Judaism
D. The Baptist Church
64. Identify the assertion that is correct
A. In the US Buddhists constitute 2% of total US population
B. In the US Buddhists constitute less than 2% of total US
population
C. In the US Buddhists constitute more than 2% of total US
population
D. In the US, Buddhists constitute 0.2% of total US population
65. Identity the assertion that is correct
In the US we have
A. More Hindus than Buddhists
B. More Buddhists than Hindus
C. More Buddhists than Muslims
D. More Muslims than Jews
66. “Man cannot live by the bread of science and politics alone;
he also needs the
vitamins of ethics and morals, faith and hope, love and security,
comfort and attention in
the face of death and misfortune, a feeling and experience that
as a person he matters
infinitely, and assurance that he is not immediately ‘forgotten’
or even annihilated when
he dies. These are the elements that religion tries to offer…
Religion makes a
contribution in man’s search for identity and security…”
This view was formulated by the following scholar of world
religions
A. John S. Mbiti
B. Cantwell Smith
C. Wole Soyinka

17. D. Max Weber14
67. “Errors in Philosophy are ridiculous; But errors in Religion
are dangerous.”
This statement was formulated by the following thinker
A. Cantwell Smith
B. Huston Smith
C. David Hume
D. Voltaire
68. “No peace among the nations without peace among the
religions.
No peace among religions without dialogue between the
religions.
No genuine dialogue among religions without an accurate
knowledge of one another.”
This view was formulated by the following theologian:
A. Hans Kung
B. Karl Rahner
C. Karl Barth
D. Karl Marx