DSST Introduction To World Religions

Instructions:

• Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
• If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
• Match each statement with the correct term.
• Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. A bodhisattva...
Ordinary people could easily understand and practice Islam; The practices of Islam are easy to understand and to practice even by the poorest and uneducated.
Just social action; Confucius taught the importance of acting justly in all social interactions.
Desire is the cause of all suffering; The Eightfold Path; All life is suffering; The only way to end suffering is to end desire
Helps others to find nirvana


2. A 'koan' (a riddle that appears to be meaningless - but is intended to prod a student of Zen into thinking) is...
Bring the gift of God's grace
Vedanta; The Vedanta system holds that all the world - including humans - is an illusion
Exposure to Western culture and the growing secularization of Muslim nations; Exposure to Western culture and the growing secularization of Muslim nations
Used in Zen Buddhism to help a believer reach sudden insight.


3. Changes Reform Jews and the Protestant Reformation have in common.
Connect with Brahman
The replacement of a traditional language with a vernacular language.
Celebrates Muhammad's birthday
Movement of Jews to areas outside Palestine beginning in the eighth century B.C.E.


4. Conflict over teachings within Hinduism resulted in the development of Buddhism - Sikhism - and...
After the Assyrians destroyed Israel; The Jewish Diaspora began after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in the 8th century B.C.E.
Circumcision; The ceremony of circumcision - known as brit - marks the entrance of a male child into Judaism.
Jainism
Is as much a cultural designation as a religious one


5. Ark of the Covenant.

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6. Ahura Mazda is the one and only true God of...
It is considered a holy river
Right understanding - Right speech - Right livelihood; The steps of the Eightfold Path are right views - right thoughts - right speech - right action - right livelihood - right effort - right mindfulness - and right concentration.
Zoroastrianism.
Luther denied the infallibility of the pope.


7. What statement about the Qur'an is not true?
Modern Iraq; A theocracy is a government in which the power and authority comes either because the ruler is considered a god (Egypt under the pharaohs) or a representative of God on earth (John Calvin's Geneva and Massachusetts Bay).
Magic
It describes Allah as a strict - distant - and unresponsive god
Confucianism


8. Members of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism believe that the Land of Bliss...
Desire is the cause of all suffering; The Eightfold Path; All life is suffering; The only way to end suffering is to end desire
An emphasis on monasticism; an emphasis on the compassion of Buddha; the transformation of Siddharta Gautama into an Ultimate Being - one of many Buddhas; the belief that the 'Great Vehicle' has room to transport all souls to nirvana
Just social action; Confucius taught the importance of acting justly in all social interactions.
Can be entered by living a good life and reciting the name of Amitabha


9. The primary factor that has motivated the growth of Islamic fundamentalism is the...
Celebrates the birth of Krishna - the incarnation of the god Vishnu - the protector and preserver.
Exposure to Western culture and the growing secularization of Muslim nations; Exposure to Western culture and the growing secularization of Muslim nations
A distraction from seeking salvation; For these sects - any attachment is a distraction and must be renounced
Trash hauler


10. What religion believes in Purgatory?
Neolithic Revolution; The Neolithic Revolution marks the change from hunting and gathering to settled farming as a way of life. Groups developed religions to appeal to the deities in nature for help.
No
Jesus
Roman Catholicism


11. The best explanation of why Muslims pray prostrate on the ground is...
To show their humility before Allah
Five Pillars.
Asoka; Asoka - a ruler of the Maurya dynasty in India in the third century B.C.E. - converted to Buddhism and sent missionaries to convert the people of his huge empire. As a result - Buddhism is the predominant religion of Asia.
Only those times when he invokes the authority of 'ex cathedra'; 'Ex cathedra' is the authority of the pope based on his position as teacher and pastor of Christians. When the pope speaks 'ex cathedra' on a doctrine of faith and morals - he is kept f


12. The relationship between ruler and ruled in Confucianism is mirrored in Judaism's and Christianity's...
Fourth Commandment; The Fourth Commandment - Honor thy Father and thy Mother - applies not only to relationships within the family unit - but to the relationship between civil authority and members of the civil society.
Law of Manu (describes the caste system and the duties of each caste).
The caste system is both religious and social in nature.
Its members pray together without priests and with little ritual


13. The four stages in Hinduism are student - seeker - ascetic - and...
Its members pray together without priests and with little ritual
Householder
Humaneness
The role of its clergy; Shi'a has a clerical hierarchy.


14. The purposes of Ramadan are to...

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15. Twelvers believe...
God's goodness can heal illness as well as sin
All Protestant denominations accept all three of the creeds
Meditation - Nonviolence - Self-Denial
That the last imam will return and with him - Judgment Day


16. In the thinking of many Buddhist sects - to love any person or any thing is...
The desire to convert nonbelievers and spread the religion
A distraction from seeking salvation; For these sects - any attachment is a distraction and must be renounced
Enter the state of nirvana - or enlightenment
Experiencing a feeling of oneness with Allah; Sufism is a mystical movement within Islam that is characterized by asceticism.


17. Islam is similar to Judaism in that...
Neither has priests. Neither Jewish rabbis nor Muslim imans are priests; both are teachers and leaders of services - which is not the same as a priest whose role is to make sacrifices.
Jesus
Desire is the cause of all suffering; The Eightfold Path; All life is suffering; The only way to end suffering is to end desire
Pentecostals believe that they receive special powers from God.; One special power is the ability to 'speak in tongues.'; Pentecostals believe that they receive special powers from God and one of those powers is the ability to speak in tongues.


18. Shamans serve as...
Guides to the spirit world. Shamans functioned - and still function - in religions based on nature and spirit worship.
Emphasis on the goodness of the spirit over the evilness of the flesh.
That the last imam will return and with him - Judgment Day
Nonviolence


19. Confucius's emphasis on respect for parents is known as...
Sephardim
Augustine; Among Augustine's contributions to Christian thought are the doctrine of original sin and the description of 'caritas -' or Christian love - the love of God and the love of one another.
Filial piety
Female - nurturing - and passive


20. Missionary work was never important to what religion?
Native American religions.
Jesus is the son of God
Shinto; Shinto was - and remains - a specifically Japanese religion.
Easter; Easter fulfills Jesus' promise to his followers that he will overcome death as those who believe in him will


21. In Zen Buddhism - 'satori' is...
Orthodox
Desire is the cause of all suffering; The Eightfold Path; All life is suffering; The only way to end suffering is to end desire
Enlightenment
Orthodox branch; Orthodox Jews conform most closely to the tenets of Judaism as revealed by God. They are not concerned with adapting Judaism to the world outside of the Jewish community.


22. The menorah is a symbol used for which Jewish holy day?

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23. Voodoo is an example of...
Recognize when a boy and a girl are considered adults in Judaism.
No schools that teach religion to their followers
Rely on both the Bible and Church traditions as sources of truth
Magic


24. The dogma of papal infallibility refers to...

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25. Divali
A person who is not sure whether there is a supreme being or not
The Hindu Festival of lights.
The teachings of Buddha - or religious truth.
Improve the lives of the poor through political activism


26. The 'Bhagavad Gita' is important to...

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27. What is the most important holy day in the Christian calendar?

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28. The Baptist denomination baptizes members by...
Immersing adults in water
Female and male; Yin represents the female principle and earth. It is passive and dark. Yang represents the male principle and heaven. It is action - heat - and light. Together - they represent harmony.
Protestant doctorine but Catholic ritual
The early followers of Jesus still considered themselves Jews.


29. 'Shivah' - in Judaism
Rabbis - like priests - lead ritual sacrifice during the liturgy.
The replacement of a traditional language with a vernacular language.
Enter the state of nirvana - or enlightenment
The first week of mourning after a death


30. The Prophetic Movement in Judaism...

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31. A rite of passage in Judaism is...
Judaism
Dowries were given to brides - not their fathers; Women gained property and inheritance rights; Mistreatment of wives in marriage was forbidden
Belief that God will save the world from its sins by sending a messiah
Circumcision; The ceremony of circumcision - known as brit - marks the entrance of a male child into Judaism.


32. Islam and Christianity share a belief in...
Founder
Angels - heaven - and hell
The struggle within a Muslim to live a good life
Has no set list of beliefs that followers must accept


33. What quality would best express the Confucian principle of jen?
Female - nurturing - and passive
Roman Catholicism; Roman Catholics have a special devotion to the Virgin Mary that is a major difference with other Christian denominations.
Hinduism
Humaneness


34. What is taboo for Jews?
Native American religions.
Eating pork
Religious practice of ancient Egyptians
Five Pillars.


35. Living a life according to 'dharma' (the concept of moral duty - or right living) will result in...
Hinduism
The mass
A better birth in the next cycle of rebirth - life - and death
Easter; Easter fulfills Jesus' promise to his followers that he will overcome death as those who believe in him will


36. Circumcision is a rite of passage found in which religions?
Baal Shem Tov
Judaism; Islam; Traditional African religions
Meng-zi reinforced Confucius's teaching that people were innately good - whereas Xun-zi taught that people were innately evil.
Achieved enlightenment


37. What accurately describes the Qur'an?
The father of the gods in the Greek pantheon.
Yom Kippur; Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.
It is the revealed word of God; Muslims believe that God revealed his message to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.
A distraction from seeking salvation; For these sects - any attachment is a distraction and must be renounced


38. The Ganges River is sacred to Hindus because...
Fourth Commandment; The Fourth Commandment - Honor thy Father and thy Mother - applies not only to relationships within the family unit - but to the relationship between civil authority and members of the civil society.
The dominant theme of Taoism
It is considered a holy river
Jewish dietary laws


39. Sufism is characterized by...
What Allah said to Muhammad
Invasion of the Holy Land by the Crusaders
Experiencing a feeling of oneness with Allah; Sufism is a mystical movement within Islam that is characterized by asceticism.
Upanishads


40. The Protestant Reformation began with...
Achieved enlightenment
God's mercy and love shown in the life - death - and resurrection of Jesus
Martin Luther
Baghdad; Baghdad was an important center of Islamic power during the caliphates.


41. A fetish is NOT...

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42. Release from the cycle of birth - death - and rebirth is...
Moksha
Buddhism; Confucianism; Taoism
Its members pray together without priests and with little ritual
All Protestant denominations accept all three of the creeds


43. In founding the Nation of Islam - Wallace Fard focused on...
Ahura Mazda
Moses
Marriage for the clergy
Economics and social concerns of African Americans within an Islamic framework


44. Ancestor veneration is NOT part of the following religion.
The early followers of Jesus still considered themselves Jews.
Religious practice of ancient Egyptians
Hinduism
Destruction of the second Temple and the end of Palestine in 70 C.E.


45. What was NOT a concern of Taoism?
Ecumenism.
Possession of wealth and power
The ultimate goal of Christians
Baghdad; Baghdad was an important center of Islamic power during the caliphates.


46. The Diaspora began...
After the Assyrians destroyed Israel; The Jewish Diaspora began after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in the 8th century B.C.E.
Religious conduct; commercial transactions; political actions; private life
Its meaning differs among the various Christian religions; various religions have different interpretations of how original sin affects human nature.
The replacement of a traditional language with a vernacular language.


47. Traditional African religions DO NOT include...
Is a righteous God who demands moral and ethical behavior from people
Written religious teachings; Indigenous religious practices are preliterate - so there were no written religious teachings - although modern anthropologists and similar researchers have written them down for various cultures.
Episcopal
A vision quest


48. Whereas Hindus refuse to eat beef - Muslims refuse to eat...
The replacement of a traditional language with a vernacular language.
Judaism; Judaism is a religion and Zionism is a political movement begun in 1896 to establish a Jewish state in what the Jews consider the 'promised land.'
Who would appoint bishops
Pork


49. Buddhism's 'middle path' is best explained as a way of life that...
Does not include worship of spirits or divine beings
Is neither a life of pleasure nor one of self-denial
Female - nurturing - and passive
The Christian belief that Jesus was the messiah


50. The best description of why Chinese rulers tolerated and even encouraged Confucianism for 2 -500 years was because...
Church's selling of indulgences
Orthodox branch; Orthodox Jews conform most closely to the tenets of Judaism as revealed by God. They are not concerned with adapting Judaism to the world outside of the Jewish community.
Because he did not write down his teachings
It taught people to accept the status quo