[Buddha-l] Will this be on the final exam?

[Richard Hayes]

Dear denizens,

About once a year I amuse myself by taking the on-line quiz at
http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx to see
how (or if) my religious views are evolving. During the past four months
I have been involved in a great deal of re-examination of my core
beliefs and practices, so it seemed a good time to entertain myself by
taking the notoriously unscientific Belief-0-Matic quiz again, just to
see if the folks at Beliefnet have refined their quiz in such a way that
they can put me in the right box. 

After answering the 20 questions, I was shown that the Belief-o-matic
algorithm had determined that I agree 100% with Theravada Buddhism, 97%
with Unitarianism and 91% with Liberal Quakerism. This means that since
I last took the quiz, Unitarianism had dropped 3% and Theravada Buddhism
has risen about 12%. (I'm glad that someone finally perceives me as a
Buddhist, even if it's only a dimwitted algorithm probably put together
by a thirteen-year-old Linux nerd.) Strangely, Secular Humanism fell
from the number two position (97% agreement) to sixth place (83%). I
suppose this must have something to do with reciting the Obámanos mantra
so fervently in October.

At the other end of the spectrum, the three religions that speak least
to my condition are just the same as before: 11% agreement with
Jehovah's Witness and just 8% with Eastern Orthodox Christianity and
Roamin' Catholicism. (I am amazed, as always, to find myself agreeing
that much with any of those three religions; I perceive myself as
agreeing with them a little less than 0%.) It does not surprise me too
much that Orthodox Judaism and Islam come in at about the same level,
but it does surprise me somewhat that the level is as high as 20%; I
would have guess more like 5% for each of them. Perhaps it is my
fondness for falafel and pita that raises my score so high. 

As always, taking this quiz is required of all buddha-l subscribers, and
anyone who gets a score less than 90% in Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism
will be required to stay in after class is dismissed.

-- 
Richard Hayes
http://dayamati.blogspot.com