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Quaestionarium Pro Quaerentibus...

PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:36 am
by Valerius Claudius Iohanes
Salvete, Vos Variarum Scriptarum -

I've just stumbled onto a "belief questionnaire" that is supposed to clue one in on where he or she belongs, in terms of religio, cultus, doctrina. The context/bias is American, I'd say. It's just Internet fluff but it could be fun to see the results. The link is:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

My results, the top five likely denominations:

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Liberal Quakers (98%)
3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (77%)
4. Neo-Pagan (76%)
5. Mahayana Buddhism (74%)

Valete.

Oh-Really-us!

PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:48 pm
by Aldus Marius
Salve, mi Valeri!

I bumped into that quiz a long time ago, and have been a fan of the BeliefNet site for a long time. I have no idea anymore what my results were then; but I thank you for the opportunity to revisit it. Here's Marius for today:


1. Hinduism (100%)
2. Jainism (95%)
3. Bahá'í Faith (91%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (91%)
5. Unitarian Universalism (80%)
<-- the only one of my likelies that I might actually find in this town
6. Liberal Quakers (74%)
<-- first Christian denomination to put in an appearance on my list
7. Neo-Pagan (74%)
<--many of the people I actually get along with
8. Sikhism (72%)
9. Orthodox Judaism (71%)
10. Reform Judaism (68%)
11. Theravada Buddhism (68%)
12. Islam (67%)
13. Orthodox Quaker (63%)
<-- only the second Christian denom to turn up
14. New Age (62%)
<--most of the rest of the people I actually get along with
15. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (61%)
16. Taoism (58%)
<-- personal favorite of the list so far
21. Secular Humanism (41%)
<-- most strangers think I'm this, and I let 'em; at least there's some intellectual content
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (39%)
(my area's infested with these people; they give me a hard time, so I make it my business to scare 'em)

Anything that scored lower (the last was "Non-Theist" at 29%) has probably been run off the porch by myself or the puppy-dogs at least once in the last ten years. Twice for the ones who've actually knocked. <feg>

Actually, SelectSmart quizzes like this one are part of the SVR's heritage. Look on the site and you will find several, most along the lines of "Which Roman (Emperor, philosopher, poet) do you most closely resemble?"; there's also one that'll match you up with a classical religion or philosophy. (I scored as a Cynic.)

These quizzes often ask for your e-mail address. They will retain it if provided, in a list accessible to the quiz's author. We don't use them anymore, but those lists were some of our earliest recruiting tools.

In amicitia et fidorum, >({|;-)

PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:07 pm
by Quintus Servilius Priscus
Salve,

Here are my top 5:

1. Bahá'í Faith (100%)
2. Liberal Quakers (92%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (92%)
4. Sikhism (90%)
5. Neo-Pagan (90%)

Quintus Servilius Priscus

PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:53 am
by Horatius Piscinus
Salvete

The questions seemed to me to have a bias towards a Christian conception of religion. For many of the questions, nearly half, I did not find any answer applicable. Anyway, my results

1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (90%)
3. Liberal Quakers (81%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (80%)
5. New Age (77%)
6. Theravada Buddhism (70%)

I thought it interesting to have the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism show up like that. When reading Buddhist texts I do tend to prefer the Mahayana form of Buddhism.

Valete

PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:42 am
by Q Valerius
1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Theravada Buddhism (98%)
3. Secular Humanism (91%)
4. Liberal Quakers (88%)
5. Mahayana Buddhism (73%)
6. Nontheist (73%)
7. Taoism (70%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (69%)
9. Jainism (63%)
10. Neo-Pagan (61%)

I actually lean far closer to Taoism than I think it allows for - nontheist Taoist. Too bad they don't analyze for Stoicism and Epicureanism.

PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:37 am
by Publius Valerius Regulus
1. Secular Humanism (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (98%)
3. Nontheist (84%)
4. Liberal Quakers (81%)
5. Neo-Pagan (78%)

Makes sense, after a fashion. I am in essence an atheist with Buddhist tendencies and an appreciation for certain strains of paganism.

De quaestionarii defectulis....

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:03 am
by Valerius Claudius Iohanes
Salvete omnes -

Ut dixit Piscinus noster, ego quoque aestimo quaestionarii questiones super Christianitatis notionem sint factae.

Atque tu, Quinte Valerii, ita ait:

Too bad they don't analyze for Stoicism and Epicureanism.


Maxime! His partibus neglectis, infeliciter factum fuit, verum iam nobis oblectat.

Hey, when I post in my barbarous Latin, is it a problem for you all, amici mi? Is it better if I post in English?

Spero ut hoc Equinoctis Tempus vobis omnibus bona adferat.

Valete.

We don't...?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:56 am
by Aldus Marius
Salvete omnes!

> Too bad they don't analyze for Stoicism and Epicureanism.


Ahh, but we do...! If you go to the Collegium Philosophiarum's "Essays and Articles" page on the SVR Web site (you know, the one I've been feeding and fussing over for the last couple of years?), you'll find another quiz put together by our own Q Pomponius Atticus. Its theme: "Which Classical Philosophy suits you best?" I guarantee you'll find Stoicism and Epicureanism therein, as well as Platonism, Aristotelianism, Sophism, Cynicism and other gems.


> Hey, when I post in my barbarous Latin, is it a problem for you all, amici mi?


Not in my corner, mi Iohanne! My own Latin is, shall we say, rusticus at best, and Ianiculan when it approaches "Roman" at all. Your words of wisdom and sincere friendship are welcome in any format, and your willingness to make them even with the experts looking on increases my own comfort-level substantially.

In summa amicitia,

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:34 pm
by Q Valerius
I myself (ego ipse) caught myself sending PMs to varii here like Marius without translating to English portions of my message. Most here are familiar with basic Latin, and should be able to figure out what little gems you happen to leave.

However, I must question the grammar of this sentence: ego quoque aestimo quaestionarii questiones super Christianitatis notionem sint factae.

Transfer of Power?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:49 pm
by Aldus Marius
*looks for conditor Draco*

...Quid censes, mi Draco? Have we found you a worthy successor? Is it time yet to pass on the mantle of the Latin Inquisition? >({|;-)

Leviter,

Melius scribere...

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:25 pm
by Valerius Claudius Iohanes
Gratias ago, et conditoribus et omnibus aliis -

I will need to look at that Essays and Articles page again, Mari....

Tangentially, as to my Latinish barbarisms, thank you for the vote of confidence. It would be best to be fluent AND accurate, but my motto, given my limitations, has to be:

Melius scribere quam sollicitari.

Valete bene, amici.

Quaestio Inquisitioque

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:11 pm
by Valerius Claudius Iohanes
And that clause -

I had:

ego quoque aestimo quaestionarii questiones super Christianitatis notionem sint factae.

But I should have had:

ego quoque aestimo quaestionarii questiones super Christianitatis notionem factas esse.

Nonne?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:21 pm
by cepasaccus
res meus similis Publii Valerii Reguli fuit.

latinum parvum inter aliam linguam scribere mihi bonus est. ita latinam disco. latinum multum legere mihi dificile est. adsequi non possum.

valete
cepasaccus (Reading Latin 2D)

Duh Quiz

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:03 am
by C.AeliusEricius
And the "Duh" does apply.

The first few results sit well with me. I've probablly osaked up some of the MAhayan from my father. The "mainline Prot" has me wondering about something. And Catholic way at the bottom. I liked not having any jehovah Winess in my ...[?], but being more 7th Day Adentist than Catholic is wierd. Not that I'm a wanna be Papist, but 7th Day Adventist!?!?!?! well, it ain't rocket sciene, though the Scientology doesn't phase me. I dont think thye know what they're about either. Enough jabbering. Here's my results. Ovum ad malum.

1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. Mahayana Buddhism (89%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (81%)
4. New Age (80%)
5. Taoism (79%)
6. New Thought (72%)
7. Scientology (72%)
8. Liberal Quakers (69%)
9. Secular Humanism (69%)
10. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (68%)
11. Reform Judaism (68%)
12. Theravada Buddhism (66%)
13. Nontheist (60%)
14. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (52%)
15. Orthodox Quaker (49%)
16. Sikhism (49%)
17. Bahá'í Faith (45%)
18. Hinduism (42%)
19. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (40%)
20. Jainism (36%)
21. Orthodox Judaism (36%)
22. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (28%)
23. Islam (26%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (20%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (19%)
26. Roman Catholic (19%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (0%)

Re: Oh-Really-us!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:37 am
by C. Cornelius Rufus
Aldus Marius wrote:22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (39%)[/color] (my area's infested with these people; they give me a hard time, so I make it my business to scare 'em)

I promise not to give you a hard time so please don't try to scare me off. :lol:

1. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (100%)
2. Orthodox Quaker (80%)
3. Eastern Orthodox (74%)
4. Roman Catholic (74%)
5. Seventh Day Adventist (72%)
6. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (67%)
7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (61%)
8. Islam (55%)
9. Orthodox Judaism (55%)
10. Jehovah's Witness (50%)
11. Bahá'í Faith (45%)
12. Nontheist (38%)
13. Liberal Quakers (35%)
14. Jainism (35%)
15. Sikhism (33%)
16. Reform Judaism (31%)
17. Unitarian Universalism (28%)
18. Taoism (26%)
19. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (25%)
20. Mahayana Buddhism (25%)
21. Theravada Buddhism (25%)
22. New Age (23%)
23. Secular Humanism (23%)
24. Hinduism (22%)
25. Neo-Pagan (22%)
26. New Thought (21%)
27. Scientology (19%)

Scare-proof

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:49 am
by Aldus Marius
Salve, mi Corneli!

I can't scare you...you're a Roman!! That one single thing, that commonality, overrides all else in the Societas Via Romana. We're rare enough, we're thin enough on the ground, that we can't really afford to turn any Roman away for any reason not having to do with his or her personal conduct.

Na, I save the light projectiles for the kinds of people who use religion to try to tell me what to do, think, feel, or believe. You know, the ones who say I can't just find God, I have to find Him in church--their church, of course; or that if I haven't undergone this-or-that ritual I'm not a real adherent; or that if enough people are made nervous by the way I am, I need to either become someone else or leave the assembly. (I actually took them up on that, out of respect; which is why I celebrate my God down by the creek in the middles of thunderstorms, and not anywhere more mannerly or constricted.)

Nobody persecutes here, and nobody evangelises. Each member comes into the discussion with his or her own background, preconceptions, sometimes misconceptions, experiences and beliefs. We share them in a spirit of enjoying each others' company and of expanding our awareness of the wisdom that dwells within every tradition. Some of us have had unhappy encounters with other sets of beliefs, or sometimes with our own, and our comments will reflect this at times. But for a friendly, level-headed, yet heartfelt conversation about spirituality, our own and others', the Collegium Religionem is one of the most comfortable venues I've participated in...the other one being late nights backstage at the Renaissance Faires, where philosophy and spirit wheel as freely as the falconer's birds, or the stars overhead in their courses.

We've always heard "Christians" and "Romans" in the media presented as if they were two opposing sides of something. Frequently forgotten on both the Christian and the "pagan" ends of the debate are that very many of the early Christians were Roman citizens, including military men like myself (thus giving the lie to those who held that Christianity was only fit for the weak).

I've a bone to pick with St Augustine of Hippo, who in his City of God dismissed just about all the Roman cultural values as mere pride and vainglory. Those values mean more to me than anything any Church official, of any denomination, has to say about them. Furthermore, I don't find them incompatible with the values of Christianity; to put it in computer talk, either OS, if run properly, will turn out a damn fine human being. Anyone who can respect that approach has nothing at all to fear from Wolf-Marius and his variable cohort of small but vigorous dogs.
>({|:-) }(:o}

In amicitia et fide,

Re: Scare-proof

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:03 pm
by C. Cornelius Rufus
Aldus Marius wrote:We've always heard "Christians" and "Romans" in the media presented as if they were two opposing sides of something. Frequently forgotten on both the Christian and the "pagan" ends of the debate are that very many of the early Christians were Roman citizens, including military men like myself (thus giving the lie to those who held that Christianity was only fit for the weak).

Yes, it's often forgotten that the "founder" of Christianity outside the Judean provinces was the Roman citizen Paul and that the first non-Jewish follower of "The Way" (as recorded in the New Testament) was my namesake Cornelius the Centurion of Caesarea Maritima.


***

Examinatio Philosophica

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:50 pm
by Valerius Claudius Iohanes
Denuo salvete, quirites -

Haec est ligatio illius examinationis Philosophicae de quo Aldus Marius dixerat. Nostra ligatio sub Collegia Philosophiarum antiquior, sed haec recentior.

http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=clas_phil

Ut valeatis.

Work Order

PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:16 pm
by Aldus Marius
(Note to self: Resume sitewide link-checks once self can sit up for more than an hour at a stretch.)

A Web-head's work is never done... >({(:-)

Re: Quaestio Inquisitioque

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:12 am
by Q Valerius
Valerius Claudius Iohanes wrote:And that clause -

I had:

ego quoque aestimo quaestionarii questiones super Christianitatis notionem sint factae.

But I should have had:

ego quoque aestimo quaestionarii questiones super Christianitatis notionem factas esse.

Nonne?


Ita vero - it's grammatical now.