Can You Pass This World Religions Knowledge Quiz?

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With the number of people on the planet, it’s only natural that humans have different belief systems that guide them and teach them about life and how to exist in the world. Although religions vary in history, specific beliefs, and affiliations with different cultures, learning about other religions and faiths helps bring people together and helps them understand one another better.

Would you consider yourself a student of the world? Are you fascinated by learning about other cultures and their beliefs, and would you consider yourself an expert in this subject? Take this quiz to learn how much you know about the world’s fascinating religions.

Which religion has the highest number of followers?

0%

Retry Correct Incorrect With over two billion followers worldwide, Christianity has the highest number of followers out of all the major religions. This number corresponds to roughly a third of the estimated global population.

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Which religion has the highest number of followers?

Buddhism
Sikhism
Islam
Christianity

What is the holy book of Hinduism called?

3%

Retry Correct Incorrect The Vedas are the holy books of Hinduism. The word “Veda” means “knowledge” in Sanskrit because the books are believed to contain the fundamental knowledge of existence. The books, which began as an oral tradition, are a collection of poems and hymns composed in Sanskrit.

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What is the holy book of Hinduism called?

Tanach
Vedas
Holy Bible
Torah

The majority of Muslims belong to which branch of Islam?

5%

Retry Correct Incorrect Roughly 80%-90% of Muslims follow Sunni Islam, accounting for 1.6 billion people. Both branches, Sunni and Shia, uphold Islam’s fundamental beliefs and practices. Shias are the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan, with Sunnis claiming a majority in 40 other predominantly Muslim countries.

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The majority of Muslims belong to which branch of Islam?

Alawite
Sufism
Shia
Sunni

Who is the founder of Buddhism?

8%

Retry Correct Incorrect Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism in the late 6th century BCE. Nowadays, there are many different denominations of Buddhism, but his teachings remain the model for religious life for Buddhists. The word “buddha” means “awakened” in Sanskrit.

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Who is the founder of Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama
Muhammad
Jesus Christ
Abraham

Which religious founder is famous for having disciples?

10%

Retry Correct Incorrect Jesus Christ had 12 disciples (also known as Apostles) when he was first preaching. These twelve famous men were Simon, Andrew, James, son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, Judas Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.

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Which religious founder is famous for having disciples?

Muhammad
Jesus Christ
Moses
Siddhartha Gautama

What denomination of Christianity do people in Ethiopia practice?

13%

Retry Correct Incorrect Christian Ethiopians belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The church is one of the few Christian churches that existed before European colonization of the African continent. It has between 36 million and 50 million followers in Ethiopia.

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What denomination of Christianity do people in Ethiopia practice?

Catholicism
Mormonsim
Tewahedo
Pentecostalism

What is the holiest city in Islam?

15%

Retry Correct Incorrect Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is the holiest city in Islam. It is the city where the Prophet Muhammad was born, and it is the location of the Great Mosque. In addition, Muslims from around the world face the direction of Mecca five times a day to perform their daily prayers.

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What is the holiest city in Islam?

Jericho
Medina
Jerusalem
Mecca

Where was the golden age of the three major Abrahamic religions located?

18%

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Retry Correct Incorrect During the Muslim conquest of Al-Andalus, Hispania (now Spain) in the 8th century, followers of the three major Abrahamic faiths, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, lived in harmony until the 14th century.

Willian Justen de Vasconcellos/Unsplash

Where was the golden age of the three major Abrahamic religions located?

Athens
Al-Andalus
Rome
Byzantine Empire

Out of which religion was Buddhism born?

20%

Retry Correct Incorrect The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, was born into a Hindu family in what is now modern Nepal. Many beliefs found in Buddhism, such as Karma and reincarnation, can trace their origin to Hinduism.

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Out of which religion was Buddhism born?

Confucianism
Islam
Daoism
Hinduism

An atheist is a person who:

23%

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Retry Correct Incorrect Atheism is the lack of belief in the existence of a god or gods. These people do not follow any religious doctrine and don’t feel the need to do so.

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An atheist is a person who:

Is angry at their god
Does not believe in a god or gods
Believes in multiple gods
Isn’t sure if there is a god or not

Sikhs wear their hair in a:

25%

Retry Correct Incorrect In the Sikh faith, followers hold five articles of faith, and one of them is called Kesh, which is keeping uncut hair in a turban. Doing so upholds service, compassion, and humility.

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Sikhs wear their hair in a:

Hijab
Turban
Bun
Hat

What is the name of the Muslim holy book?

28%

Retry Correct Incorrect The Quran is the Muslim holy book, believed to be the word of God, dictated by the Prophet Muhammad and revealed by the angel Gabriel. In Arabic, Quran means “recitation.”

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What is the name of the Muslim holy book?

Quran
Vedas
Holy Bible
Torah

Which country has a majority non-religious population?

30%

Retry Correct Incorrect Although it’s difficult to quantify how much of any country’s population is irreligious, Sweden tops the ranking list of the most non-religious countries, with other countries like China, the Czech Republic, and Japan following.

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Which country has a majority non-religious population?

France
Japan
Sweden
United States

Which religion is said to be the oldest?

33%

Retry Correct Incorrect Hinduism is the oldest religion, founded between the 15th – 5th centuries BCE. Its primary texts, the Vedas, were compiled between those centuries, making the religion the oldest in the world.

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Which religion is said to be the oldest?

Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Judaism

How many times do Muslims pray?

35%

Retry Correct Incorrect In the Muslim faith, followers pray five times a day, once at dawn, then noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam, as a way to worship and show devotion to God.

Alena Darmel/Pexels

How many times do Muslims pray?

1
5
2
8

All of the following countries are majority Buddhist, except:

38%

Retry Correct Incorrect Despite being surrounded by a majority of Buddhist countries, Nepal is predominantly Hindu, with roughly 80% of its population belonging to the Hindu faith. Once considered the only Hindu country in the world, it is now a secular state.

Shaouraav Shreshtha/Unsplash

All of the following countries are majority Buddhist, except:

Sri Lanka
Cambodia
Thailand
Nepal

Before Islam became predominant, the official religion of Persia was:

40%

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Retry Correct Incorrect Persia, most commonly known in the modern era as Iran, initially recognized Zoroastrianism as its official faith. The Muslim conquest of the region in the 7th century sparked a decline in followers.

@tulayzeybekozcan/Instagram

Before Islam became predominant, the official religion of Persia was:

Hinduism
Zoroastrianism
Judaism
Christianity

Followers of Judaism are still waiting for:

43%

Retry Correct Incorrect The Jewish faith believes that a Messiah will come to welcome in an era of peace, with no wars, famine, poverty, or suffering. The word messiah comes from the Hebrew word “Mashiah,” meaning “anointed.”

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Followers of Judaism are still waiting for:

An angel
A new leader
A prophet
A messiah

Which of these religions is without a clear founder?

45%

Retry Correct Incorrect Hinduism has no clear founder, date of origin, or central belief system. Instead, Hinduism is a fusion of various beliefs, sometimes referred to as a “way of life” or “family of religions.”

Eugenia Clara/Unsplash

Which of these religions is without a clear founder?

Islam
Judaism
Buddhism
Hinduism

How many pillars of Islam are there?

48%

Retry Correct Incorrect In Islam, there are five pillars or practices that all Muslims must follow. They are faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. All Muslims must try to follow all five pillars throughout their lifetime.

Konevi/Pexels

How many pillars of Islam are there?

5
1
10
3

Jewish dietary law is known as:

50%

Retry Correct Incorrect Kosher is a term used to describe food that complies with the dietary law of Judaism. The word “kosher” means “to be pure, proper” in Hebrew. The laws for keeping kosher are found within the Torah.

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Jewish dietary law is known as:

Sacred
Lent
Halal
Kosher

Which of the following religions is not embraced by Chinese culture?

53%

Retry Correct Incorrect India and China share populations that practice the same Eastern faiths, but Hinduism is not one of them. Hinduism is a minor religion in China, although there is archaeological proof of the presence of practitioners of Hinduism in medieval China.

Matze Bob/Unsplash

Which of the following religions is not embraced by Chinese culture?

Buddhism
Daoism
Confucianism
Hinduism

Liturgical texts in the Roman Catholic faith are written in:

55%

Retry Correct Incorrect Roman Catholic liturgical texts are written in Ecclesiastical Latin, the official language of the Catholic Church. These crucial texts are still written in Latin to function as a reference point for translations.

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Liturgical texts in the Roman Catholic faith are written in:

Ancient Greek
Latin
Aramaic
Hebrew

The following religions believe in the existence of a creator god except:

58%

Retry Correct Incorrect Buddhism does not teach that a creator God is overlooking all of humanity. Buddhism neither confirms nor denies the existence of gods; instead, they see believing in gods as a distraction from enlightenment.

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The following religions believe in the existence of a creator god except:

Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Buddhism

The Protestant Reformation resulted in a significant split within which religion?

60%

Retry Correct Incorrect The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 in Germany, when Catholic monk Martin Luther challenged the Church’s teachings, causing others who felt the same way to follow him in the creation of the form of Christianity now known as Protestantism.

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The Protestant Reformation resulted in a significant split within which religion?

Christianity
Buddhism
Judaism
Zoroastrianism

Women in the Muslim faith often wear a:

63%

Retry Correct Incorrect Muslim women often wear a hijab as a symbol of their faith and for other reasons such as humility, a sign of submission to God, or a way of avoiding the male gaze.

Shahbaz Akram/Pexels

Women in the Muslim faith often wear a:

Bracelet
Turban
Hijab
Belt

Which religion bans the consumption of pork?

65%

Retry Correct Incorrect Islam and Judaism ban the consumption of pork and pork-derived products, including those found in glycerin. The reason is the belief that pigs are unclean, as stated in both the Quran and the Torah.

Ron Lach/Pexels

Which religion bans the consumption of pork?

Buddhism
Islam
Judaism
Confucianism

After fleeing Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad and his followers found refuge in:

68%

Retry Correct Incorrect Medina, meaning “city” in Arabic, is the second holiest city in Islam, after Mecca. It is where the Prophet Muhammad and his followers fled following their flight from Mecca. Visiting his tomb in Medina is part of the hajj or umrah pilgrimages.

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After fleeing Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad and his followers found refuge in:

Mecca
Medina
Cairo
Amman

The early Christian faith was spread through which empire?

70%

Retry Correct Incorrect The Roman Empire has had a long history of interacting with Christianity. The first Christians met a lot of resistance from the Roman Empire. It wasn’t until Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity that the faith slowly became accepted throughout the territories of the Roman Empire.

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The early Christian faith was spread through which empire?

Roman
Mongolian
Byzantine
Chinese

Muslims only eat food that is certified as:

73%

Retry Correct Incorrect Halal, meaning “permissible” in English, refers to what is allowed in the Muslim faith. Pork and alcohol are not considered halal. Reducing animal suffering is a central component of slaughter to be considered halal.

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Muslims only eat food that is certified as:

Lent
Chicken
Kosher
Halal

What is the month-long holiday during which Muslims fast during daylight hours?

75%

Retry Correct Incorrect Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, also known as the holy month of fasting. The month begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Muslims abstain from eating and drinking anything between sunrise and sunset, practicing self-restraint. The fast is broken after sunset by first eating dates.

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What is the month-long holiday during which Muslims fast during daylight hours?

Diwali
Christmas
Yom Kippur
Ramadan

Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists believe in the principle that it is wrong to harm living things. This principle is called:

78%

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Retry Correct Incorrect Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists all believe in the principle called “ahimsa,” meaning “nonviolence” in Sanskrit. Being a part of violence towards any living creature is believed to result in negative karma.

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Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists believe in the principle that it is wrong to harm living things. This principle is called:

Qi
Yang
Ahimsa
Tantrism

What is the dietary requirement of Jainism?

80%

Retry Correct Incorrect Jains are strict vegetarians and abstain from root vegetables and certain fruits. Some Jains are vegans and avoid eating anything that comes from an animal. The dietary reasoning comes from the Jain principle of nonviolence, “ahimsa.”

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What is the dietary requirement of Jainism?

Vegetarianism
Veganism
Keto
Kosher

What is the name of the sect of Buddhism followed in Sri Lanka?

83%

Retry Correct Incorrect Theravada Buddhism is predominant in Sri Lanka. Theravada means “Doctrine of the Elders” in the Pali language; the language believed to have been spoken by the historical Buddha. They believe in the ideal of the perfected saint, who attains enlightenment through their own efforts.

Yves Alarie/Unsplash

What is the name of the sect of Buddhism followed in Sri Lanka?

Zen
Mahayana
Theravada
Tibetan

The leader of Tibetan Buddhism is called the:

85%

Retry Correct Incorrect In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is a title given to the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. They believe that the Dalai lama is the manifestation of the bodhisattva of compassion and the patron saint of Tibet.

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The leader of Tibetan Buddhism is called the:

Dalai Lama
Imam
Pope
Patriarch

Egyptian Christians use what language for liturgical purposes?

88%

Retry Correct Incorrect The Coptic language used to be Egypt’s official language, growing out of ancient Egyptian. The language uses a modified version of the Greek alphabet. Today the language is used in the liturgical services of the Coptic church.

Mustafa Yasser/Unsplash

Egyptian Christians use what language for liturgical purposes?

Amharic
Cuneiform
Coptic
Ancient Greek

This West African city was once a center of Islamic scholarship:

90%

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Retry Correct Incorrect Sankore Madrasah, also known as the Sankore Mosque and University in Timbuktu, is the oldest continuously-operating university in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is now used. “Madrasah” in Arabic means “school/university.”

@rapineal333/Instagram

This West African city was once a center of Islamic scholarship:

Timbuktu
Accra
Lagos
Granada

Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches formally split in what year?

93%

Retry Correct Incorrect Also known as the “Great Schism,” the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches occurred on July 16, 1054. The break occurred due to rising tensions between the then-western branch of the Christian church based in Rome and the eastern branch in Constantinople (now Istanbul).

Raimond Klavins/Unsplash

Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches formally split in what year?

666
1054
1492
800

Buddhism teaches that suffering is caused by:

95%

Retry Correct Incorrect In Buddhism, suffering is taught to be caused by desire, called “tanha,” meaning “third, craving, desire” in Sanskrit. It is taught that desire causes suffering because it keeps humans attached to existence and unable to reach enlightenment.

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Buddhism teaches that suffering is caused by:

Desire
Pain
Hunger
Greed

Which of the following is NOT one of the Ten Commandments:

98%

Retry Correct Incorrect In the book of exodus, the ten commandments were revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai and engraved on two stone tablets. They feature the ten commandments that people must follow. From this list, “you shall not be intimate” is NOT one of the ten commandments.

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Which of the following is NOT one of the Ten Commandments:

You shall not make idols
You shall not be intimate
You shall not steal
Keep the Sabbath holy

Congrats, you finished! Here are your results:

100%

Congrats, you finished! Here are your results:

Retry Did you even try? You may not be that interested in learning about world religions, and that’s ok! But if you want to pass, you’re in for much study and reflection. You need to study more! You got a few things right, and you’ve got a growing fascination with world religions, but you could use some studying to deepen your understanding. You’ve got a lot of faith. You know a lot about world religions, and the passion is there, but it wouldn’t hurt to devote yourself to more time studying the various beliefs people hold around the world. You’re enlightened! You’ve got a deep knowledge of all the world’s religions because you’re interested in learning about spirituality and answering life’s most challenging questions.

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