Belief-O-Matic
found this in kairiheart14's journal: it's a personality quiz to find out what religions match your beliefs. my results:
1. Neo-Pagan (100%) 2. Unitarian Universalism (95%) 3. New Age (90%) 4. Mahayana Buddhism (80%) 5. Liberal Quakers (76%) 6. New Thought (73%) 7. Reform Judaism (70%) 8. Hinduism (68%) 9. Scientology (67%) 10. Jainism (65%) 11. Theravada Buddhism (62%) 12. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (58%) 13. Secular Humanism (56%) 14. Sikhism (56%) 15. Baha'i Faith (48%) 16. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (46%) 17. Taoism (46%) 18. Orthodox Judaism (46%) 19. Orthodox Quaker (40%) 20. Islam (35%) 21. Nontheist (33%) 22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (18%) 23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (17%) 24. Seventh Day Adventist (16%) 25. Jehovah's Witness (13%) 26. Eastern Orthodox (11%) 27. Roman Catholic (11%)
some of the rankings are not surprising (neo-pagan at the top, roman catholic at the bottom... =P sorry Ma, i just can't do it), some are religions i've never heard of or know little about (what the heck is a Liberal Quaker? did the Oatmeal Guy vote for Obama? And scientology- isn't that a cult? whatever), and some are just plain intriguing.
it's funny, some of the top-ranked religions have very conflicting beliefs... of the ones i am familiar or relatively familiar with (neo-pagan, hindu, buddhist, judaism), there are some concepts i do agree with, but some i do not. for example, i have great respect for Buddhism, but it has a lot of ideas i'm not comfortable with (like the whole anti-worldly attachment thing- i'm shaky on that). a lot of formal religions are too strict for me.
that having been said, here's some info from my top ranked matches that impressed me:
Neo-Pagan (no brainer): "Some believe in a Supreme Being. Many believe in God and Goddess--a duality. Many believe there are countless spirit beings, gods and goddesses, in the cosmos and within all of nature--God is all and within all; all are one God. The Great Mother Earth, or Mother Nature, is highly worshipped. Divinity is immanent and may become manifest within anyone at any time through various methods.... "Evil" is imbalance. Most believe there is no evil but rather that people sometimes make mistakes. Wrongdoing results when we forget we are one with the universal spirit."
Unitarian Universalism (heard of this before, but don't know much about it): "The Unitarian Universalist Association’s stance is to protect the personal right to choose abortion. Other contemporary views include working for equality for homosexuals, gender equality, a secular approach to divorce and remarriage, working to end poverty, promoting peace and nonviolence, and environmental protection."
New Age (not surprising): "An umbrella term for a wide range of personal and individual beliefs and practices influenced primarily by Eastern religions, paganism, and spiritism. ... The universe, life, and matter were not created by God but "are" God. The universe and life emerged out of the creative power of the eternal universal life force. "
Mahayana Buddhism: "Life is suffering. Suffering results from this and past life greed, hatred, and ignorance, which, unless mitigated, returns as suffering (karma). Intense suffering may be viewed as the release of karma, hastening one's liberation. Suffering is illusion or ignorance of one's true nature as Buddha."
Liberal Quakers (what now?): "Liberal Quakers do not believe that Satan causes suffering. Some believe suffering is part of God's plan, will, or design, even if we don't immediately understand it. Some don't believe in any spiritual reasons for suffering. Quakers focus on reducing human suffering, especially that which is caused by social injustice or violence."
New Thought (???): "No original sin, and no Satan and no evil. People make "mistakes" due to ignorance of one's true nature as Perfect Mind and Love, which is God."
Reform Judaism: "Reform Jews believe in the world to come and a messianic age (but no individual Messiah). Personal beliefs in the details of afterlife are diverse, as there is no official position. Some believe in heaven and hell but only as states of consciousness; some believe in reincarnation; some believe God is all-forgiving; and some may not believe in an actual afterlife. Regardless, Judaism generally focuses on living a virtuous life, rather than working toward reward after death. ... No original sin. Most often, Satan is interpreted symbolically to represent selfish desires that are inherent within all. God gave people free will, and people are responsible for their actions. ... Judaism holds that human life begins upon first breath, and Jewish law requires abortion if necessary to save the mother's life prior to birth. Most believe potential human life should never be terminated casually, but it is generally regarded as a personal decision, especially within the first 40 days of pregnancy. Homosexuality: Homosexuals are God's creation, and Jewish instruction is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Reform (and Conservative) Judaism have a long history of support for homosexual rights."
Hinduism: "Through laws of karma, one's soul is reborn until enlightened and liberated from rebirth, at which time you enter a state of ultimate bliss (moksha) and become one with the ultimate truth and reality, God, Brahman. One may be reborn into a number of heavens and hells, or as lower life forms, depending on one's karma."
here's the test, for anyone curious: http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx