The Belief-O-Matic

Given the fact that I’ve been hanging out at Beliefnet a lot lately, and my adoration for pigeon-hole personality tests that cram you into some character or character type, it should come as no surprise that I’ve discovered the Beliefnet Belief-O-Matic. This test asks you a bunch of belief-related questions, and based on your answers, it tells you what religion(s) you’re most compatible with. Obviously, this test isn’t an “end-all, be-all”, but I’ve found it to be pretty enlightening, since it isn’t too far off the mark. (The questions are somewhat general which, to the dismay of many Christians and Muslims, means that religions are treated as “comparatively equal”, or that they’re all equally (in)valid in their historical facts, and that which matters most is the overall belief system or practices.)

Anyway, so I took the test and here are my results…

1. Hinduism (100%)
2. Seventh Day Adventist (96%)
3. Orthodox Quaker (94%)
4. Eastern Orthodox (93%)
5. Roman Catholic (93%)
6. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (91%)
7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (84%)
8. Orthodox Judaism (83%)
9. Sikhism (79%)
10. Islam (75%)
11. Jainism (73%)
12. Bahá’í Faith (69%)
13. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (66%)
14. Liberal Quakers (65%)
15. Mahayana Buddhism (65%)
16. Theravada Buddhism (65%)
17. Jehovah’s Witness (61%)
18. Reform Judaism (56%)
19. Unitarian Universalism (54%)
20. Neo-Pagan (38%)
21. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (36%)
22. Scientology (31%)
23. Taoism (31%)
24. New Age (31%)
25. New Thought (26%)
26. Secular Humanism (25%)
27. Nontheist (22%)

Hily crap, I’m a Hondu! Ok, not quite. It doesn’t surprise me however that my faith alignment is as it is. I’m pretty “Liberal” for a Christian (not Hillary Clinton liberal, more like “a few notches below Bob Coy” liberal), in that I believe God to be bigger than any idea we can assign to Him. And the fact that I have a LOT of Hindu friends — well, it rubs off, I guess. (Besides, the next 7 results might have something to say about my beliefs. Only surprise there is “Quaker”, and that comes more from ignorance than anything else, since I don’t know oats from Quakers.)

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken this test, so it’s interesting to see that a few things that were on top before now aren’t. (Buddhism, Unitarian Universalism, and Bahai’i for example.)

There are more tests and I’ll keep updating this with any info I get about — err — myself(?). If you want to take the Belief-O-Matic, or any of Beliefnet’s tests, head down to the Beliefnet Quizes area and take a few of your own. You may find out a bit about yourself as a result.

Edit: Just found the “Which Christian Theologian Are You test. (Not Beliefnet related.) Aparently, the Christian Theologian I’m most like is…

Augustine!
You love to study tough issues and don’t mind it if you lose sleep over them. Everyone loves you and wants to talk to you and hear your views, you even get things like “nice debating with you.” Yep, you are super smart, even if you are still trying to figure it all out. You’re also very honest, something people admire, even when you do stupid things.

“God will not suffer man to have the knowledge of things to come; for if he had prescience of his prosperity he would be careless; and understanding of his adversity he would be senseless.”