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I found a cool quiz on Beliefnet.com. After answering the questions, it shows you how closely the top 27 mainstream religions match your personal beliefs.

You can find the quiz here: http://beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

My questions are, did any of you get answers that say your religion is something other than what you believe you really are?
Were you surprised by any of your answers?
What answers did you get?
whee

Those were mine. I seem to be a straight mix of EVERYTHING. But then that would make sense. I seen to be caught in the middle of a buncha different religion's beliefs.


1. New Thought (100%)
2. Reform Judaism (93%)
3. Scientology (91%)
4. Unitarian Universalism (91%)
5. Neo-Pagan (87%)
6. Liberal Quakers (85%)
7. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (85%)
8. Mahayana Buddhism (83%)
9. New Age (82%)
10. Bahá'í Faith (77%)
11. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (77%)
12. Hinduism (72%)
13. Orthodox Judaism (66%)
14. Sikhism (62%)
15. Islam (61%)
16. Jainism (61%)
17. Theravada Buddhism (60%)
18. Taoism (57%)
19. Secular Humanism (52%)
20. Orthodox Quaker (41%)
21. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (35%)
22. Nontheist (33%)
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (27%)
24. Eastern Orthodox (21%)
25. Roman Catholic (21%)
26. Jehovah's Witness (16%)
27. Seventh Day Adventist (15%)

I ended up with neo-pagan as the top... and other stuff below that... my old religion, LDS, was 19%...

But that may be that I'm still determining what it is I believe in some areas.

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1. Hinduism (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (76%)
3. Jainism (64%)
4. Unitarian Universalism (64%)
5. Mahayana Buddhism (63%)
6. Orthodox Judaism (57%)
7. Bahai Faith (56%)
8. New Age (50%)
9. Reform Judaism (49%)
10. Sikhism (49%)
11. Liberal Quakers (48%)
12. New Thought (48%)
13. Scientology (46%)
14. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (42%)
15. Islam (40%)
16. Taoism (36%)
17. Orthodox Quaker (34%)
18. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (32%)
19. Theravada Buddhism (32%)
20. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (29%)
21. Seventh Day Adventist (29%)
22. Secular Humanism (25%)
23. Jehovah's Witness (23%)
24. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (22%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (20%)
26. Roman Catholic (20%)
27. Nontheist (16%)

Not surprising. I'm a Barbeloic Valentinian Gnostic Christian and a Student of Jewish Kabbalah. Jewish Kabbalah, Christian Gnosticism, and Hinduism are all three very similar in many respects. I'm also in agreements with elements of Buddhism and Taoism and certain branches of Neo-Paganism.

Jewish Kabbalah:

Ein Sof and the Ten Sefirot

According to Kabbalah, the true essence of God is so transcendent that it cannot be described, except with reference to what it is not. This true essence of God is known as Ein Sof, which literally means "Without End," which encompasses the idea of His lack of boundaries in both time and space. In this truest form, the Ein Sof is so transcendent that It cannot have any direct interaction with the universe. The Ein Sof interacts with the universe through ten emanations from this essence, known as the Ten Sefirot.

The Ten Sephiroth (Sefirot) represent Ten Emanations of Godly light (Sephiroth outright means Emanation of Light). Each of the circles is marked with one of Ten Names of YHWH as well; they represent a different focus of energy for the Unknowable God-Knowledge - The Gnostic En Soph - from Sophia. During the creation, God sent these waves pulsing throughout creation, henceforth a Gnostic spends his time trying to overcome each circle's attributed meaning of the path to "Freedom through Knowledge."

These Sefirot correspond to qualities of God. They consist of, in descending order, Keter (the crown), Chokhmah (wisdom), Binah (intuition, understanding), Chesed (mercy) or Gedulah (greatness), Gevurah (strength), Tiferet (glory), Netzach (victory), Hod (majesty), Yesod (foundation) and Malkut (sovereignty).

The middle five qualities are mentioned explicitly and in order at I Chronicles 29:11: "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness (gedulah), the strength (gevurah), the glory (tiferet), the power (netzach), and the splendor (hod)." The Hebrew corresponds to the names of the Sefirot in order.

The Ten Sefirot include both masculine and feminine qualities. Right side masculine, left side feminine. Kabbalah pays a great deal of attention to the feminine aspects of God.

The Sefirot are not separate deities, as some might think by taking this too literally. They are intimately a part of God, and yet they are in contact with the universe in a way that the Ein Sof is not. The Sefirot connect with everything in the universe, including humanity. The good and evil that we do resonates through the Sefirot and affects the entire universe, up to and including God Himself.

Christian Gnosticism:

I came across a great resource posted online that mentions the Gnostic Christian Godhead Hierarchy in a very clear manner...

Gnostic Aeons

In many Gnostic systems, the various emanations of the God, who is also known by such names as the One, the Monad, Aiwn teleos (The Perfect Aeon), Bythos, Proarkh (Before the Beginning), H'Arkh (The Beginning), are called Aeons. This first being is also an Aeon and has an inner being within itself, known as Ennoea (Thought), Charis (Grace), or Sige (Silence). The split perfect being conceives the second Aeon, Nus (Mind), within itself. Along with the male Nus comes the female Aeon Veritas (Truth).

The Aeons often came in male/female pairs called syzygies, and were frequently numerous (20-30). Two of the most commonly listed Aeons were Jesus Christ and Sophia. The Aeons constitute the pleroma, the "region of light". The lowest regions of the pleroma are closest to the darkness; i.e. the physical world.

When an Aeon named Sophia emanates without her partner Aeon, the result is the Demiurge. This creature does not belong to the pleroma, and the One emanates two savior Aeons, Christ and the Holy Spirit to save man from the Demiurge. Christ then took the form of the man, Jesus, in order to be able to teach man how to achieve gnosis; i.e. return to the pleroma.

Valentinian Aeons

The Gnostic Valentinius had 30 different Aeons which emanate each other in sequence. The first 8 of these (corresponding to generation one-four below) is referred to as the Ogdoad.

First generation:

Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea etc)

Second generation:

Nous (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia (Veritas, Truth)

Third generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia:

Sermo (the Word) and Vita (the Life)

Fourth generation, emanated from Sermo and Vita:

Anthropos (Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Church)

Fifth generation:

Emanated from Sermo and Vita:

Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture)
Ageratos (Never old) and Henosis (Union)
Autophyes (Essential nature) and Hedone (Pleasure)
Acinetos (Immovable) and Syncrasis (Commixture)
Monogenes (Only-begotten) and Macaria (Happiness)

Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:

Paracletus (Comforter) and Pistis (Faith)
Patricas (Paternal) and Elpis (Hope)
Metricos (Maternal) and Agape (Love)
Ainos (Praise) and Synesis (Intelligence)
Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and Macariotes (Blessedness)
Theletus (Perfect) and Sophia (Wisdom)

Ptolemaic and Colorbasal Aeons

The followers of the Gnostics Ptolemy and Colorbasus had Aeons which differ from those of Valentinius. Logos is created when Anthropos learn to speak. The first four are called the Tetrad and the eight are called the Ogdoad.

First generation:

Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea etc)

Second generation (concieved by the One):

Ennoae (Thought) and Thelesis (Will)

Third generation, emanated from Ennoae and Thelesis:

Nous (or Monogenes) and Aletheia

Fourth generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia:

Anthropos (Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Church)

Fifth generation, emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:

Logos and Zoe

Sixth generation:

Emanated from Logos and Zoe:

Bythius and Mixis
Ageratos and Henosis
Autophyes and Hedone
Acinetos and Syncrasis
Monogenes and Macaria

Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:

Paracletus and Pistis
Patricos and Elpis
Metricos and Agape
Ainos and Synesis
Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes
Theletos and Sophia

The order of Anthropos and Ecclesia versus Logos and Zoe are somewhat debated, different sources give different accounts. Logos and Zoe are unique to this system as compared to the previous and may be an evolved version of the first, totalling 32 Aeons, but it is not clear if the first two were actually regarded Aeons.

Jewish Kabbalah and Christian Gnosticism are very similar to Hinduism...

Hinduism:

The many forms of Hinduism are henotheistic religions. They recognize a single deity, and view other Gods and Goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme God. Henotheistic and polytheistic religions have traditionally been among the world's most religiously tolerant faiths.

Hindu beliefs and practices:

Categorizing the religion of Hinduism is somewhat confusing:

Hinduism has commonly been viewed in the west as a polytheistic religion - one which worships multiple deities: gods and goddesses. Although a widespread belief, this is not particularly accurate.

Some have viewed it as a monotheistic religion, because it recognizes only one supreme God: the panentheistic principle of Brahman, that all reality is a unity. The entire universe is seen as one divine entity who is simultaneously at one with the universe and who transcends it as well.

Some view Hinduism as Trinitarian because Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad -- one God with three persons:

Brahma the Creator who is continuing to create new realities

Vishnu, (Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations. Whenever dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law and duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of ten incarnations.

Shiva, the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic and destructive.

Strictly speaking, Hinduism is a henotheistic religion -- a religion which recognizes a single deity, but which recognizes other gods and goddesses as facets, forms, manifestations, or aspects of that supreme God.

1. Liberal Quakers (100%)
2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (99%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (96%)
4. Neo-Pagan (86%)
5. New Age (82%)
6. Secular Humanism (75%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (73%)
8. Theravada Buddhism (72%)
9. Reform Judaism (71%)
10. Bahá'í Faith (67%)
11. Taoism (64%)
12. New Thought (62%)
13. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (57%)
14. Orthodox Quaker (57%)
15. Jainism (50%)
16. Scientology (48%)
17. Sikhism (45%)
18. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (44%)
19. Nontheist (39%)
20. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (36%)
21. Jehovah's Witness (35%)
22. Orthodox Judaism (28%)
23. Hinduism (25%)
24. Islam (20%)
25. Seventh Day Adventist (20%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (11%)
27. Roman Catholic (11%)
eek how the heck did I get Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants?...oh well...

1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (90%)
3. Reform Judaism (86%)
4. Unitarian Universalism (84%)
5. Bahá'í Faith (75%)
6. Liberal Quakers (72%)
7. New Thought (72%)
8. Mahayana Buddhism (72%)
9. Scientology (70%)
10. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (65%)
11. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (62%)
12. Orthodox Judaism (62%)
13. Jainism (61%)
14. Sikhism (61%)
15. Hinduism (55%)
16. Islam (54%)
17. Theravada Buddhism (52%)
18. Taoism (46%)
19. Orthodox Quaker (43%)
20. Secular Humanism (41%)
21. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (35%)
22. Nontheist (34%)
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (23%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (19%)
25. Jehovah's Witness (14%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (11%)
27. Roman Catholic (11%)

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