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BELlEF-O-MATIC?
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Okay, I said. I’ll give it a shot. |
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Actually I very rarely spend time on the Internet, much less chase down
many recommended web sites. But I respected the source and logged on. |
The suggestion was that I might be interested in a religious page, beliefnet.com,
which would
present me with a survey
to take when I clicked on Belief-O-Matic.
According to my Unitarian source this page has been around for awhile,
taking away the chance that I am offering any new news. |
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So I opened and clicked and read the twenty questions with the optional
answers. I clicked “Show my results” and was almost instantly scored. There's
no way to flunk unless you're hoping for a specific outcome. |
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It turns out that answers to these twenty questions are sufficient to identify
you with a particular belief system. Actually, the outcome identifies the
percentage of your answers that would be answered the same way by one of
the religious groups. |
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I was not altogether surprised when my first correlation was with Unitarian-Universalist.
Nor was I surprised that my last place correlation (#27) was Jehovah's
Witnesses. I have ancient relatives who would have been pleased to see
that my second spot was Liberal-Quaker. |
My #3 correlation was Neo-Paganism. At first I thought, where the hell
did that come from? I
calmed down a bit and asked
the question again—where the heck did that come from? Then I drew from
my vast vault of knowledge to realize that Paganism isn't evil godlessness,
but is a belief system that is nature-centered. It has many varieties.
I'm sure some of my answers tipped off the magic answering machine that
I thought human connection to nature was a high spiritual value. |
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I received several responses from folks in our group (who took the survey
on my recommendation) who were momentarily pleased with themselves to be
labeled “Neo-Pagan,” until I reported back that they could have done worse.
I won't be specific, but I’d rather be in fellowship with Neo-Pagans than
some of the other groups on the list. |
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Like many in my group who did the survey, I felt there were not enough
alternatives to handle my particular belief (or non-belief) system. A question
about what happens after death, for instance, had one of the choices as
“No afterlife; no spiritual existence beyond life; no literal heaven and
hell. Or not sure. Or not important.” That was one answer. It should have
been divided up so you could agree with parts but disagree with others.
Another question had a similar option among a number about the existence
of God. “No God or supreme force. Or not sure. Or not important.” That
looks like four possible answers to me. |
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I would have liked some answers that allowed for “wonder,” “mystery,” and
“mystical experience.” I would have liked the option of “trust” in spite
of doubt. Someone asked why “Moment Ministries” was not a religious option!
Heresy, of course. |
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I suppose that because I failed to check the orthodox answers I gravitated
away from “true faith” religious systems From my early childhood I have
thought most religious faith to be highly speculative. Like Leslie Weatherhead,
I would call myself a Christian only if I could add the word “agnostic.”
I've spent my life trying to be open to all the evidence. I was fortunate
to be in a denomination that had no creeds and encouraged individual interpretation
and belief. |
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Some of my group and blue sheet friends who took the test asked my own
questions: ‘Why does one want to be in any grouping?” “Do ministers really
think that everyone in a church or denomination believes a particular doctrine?”
Does believing matter?” My experience in churches through the years taught
me that my members thought all sorts of things. I saw some of their religious
reading on coffee tables. Not my cup of tea. I've had several admitted
atheists, lots of agnostics and doubters, to offset those whose certainty
about the Bible and religious faith was rigidly anchored. Many were in
church in spite of the religious beliefs of the church rather than because
of them. |
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What has interested me most is that virtually all of the outcomes of the
results sent to me so far have been close to my own thinking. Even those
from more orthodox Christian backgrounds tilted toward a non-creedal belief
system. Everyone seems to harbor secret heresies. Maybe I’ll get some more
responses. It could make interesting background for my Easter words. What
do we really believe?
—
Art Morgan 3/15/02
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