What We Believe

A few of my "blogging" friends got this same email, but I thought the quiz referenced would be interesting to take. Here is the story itself and below are my results.

What We Believe

by Chris Stinnett

From the very beginning of the Internet, there were strange sites found. At one time, from anywhere in the world, you could log on and discover how many cold sodas were in a particular vending machine on the second floor of a building at UCLA. Now, of course, things are much more sophisticated—or at least, flashier.

For example, at a website called BeliefNet, you can take a quiz to discover what religion most closely matches your beliefs. Just navigate here and you can take a 20 question quiz that will reveal your basic faith structure. (Of course, they note at the top of the quiz that they are not legally liable for the ultimate fate of your soul!)

I couldn’t resist. I logged on and took the quiz, submitted the answers and found that I am: 100% Eastern Orthodox, 100% Roman Catholic, 95% Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant and even 88% Seventh-Day Adventist. Apparently, I am more in line with Orthodox Judaism (74%) than with Liberal Christian Protestants (70%), and better suited to Islam (65%) than Mormonism (63%).

This is a spiritual counterpart to early computer dating. They examine your existing beliefs and match you to a group that will mirror your convictions. Of course, this is exactly backward to the impact our faith should have in our lives. God expects to change our faulty thinking and confused beliefs so that we learn the truth and live in actual righteousness with Him.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2-4 NIV).

Jesus calls us to become humble, not childish. We must accept the fact that our understanding is limited. We accumulate convictions and beliefs that are based on false and incomplete knowledge. We need to have convictions that are based on fuller facts And that is what God offers us in His word.

When we hear the truth of God’s word, our false beliefs and shallow convictions are challenged and confronted by the truth. From that moment, we must choose whether we will accept God’s word and change our lives or remain in our former ignorance and reject Him.

What we already believe is not important. What we come to believe on the basis of God’s word is crucial. The work and ministry of the church must reflect God’s call for holiness, not America’s call for comfort.

We must gain and hold a faith based on the truth of God’s word. He accepts responsibility for the fate of our souls!

My Results:

1. Eastern Orthodox (100%)
2. Roman Catholic (100%)
3. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (99%)
4. Seventh Day Adventist (95%)
5. Orthodox Quaker (83%)
6. Orthodox Judaism (79%)
7. Islam (71%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (66%)
9. Hinduism (63%)
10. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (61%)
11. Sikhism (56%)
12. Jehovah's Witness (51%)
13. Bahá'í Faith (50%)
14. Liberal Quakers (42%)
15. Reform Judaism (39%)
16. Jainism (34%)
17. Unitarian Universalism (32%)
18. Mahayana Buddhism (25%)
19. Theravada Buddhism (25%)
20. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (25%)
21. Scientology (20%)
22. Neo-Pagan (19%)
23. Nontheist (18%)
24. New Thought (16%)
25. New Age (11%)
26. Secular Humanism (8%)
27. Taoism (8%)