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Worksheets

World Religions

Total questions: 63

Worksheet time: 32mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following best defines a layman?

a)

A priest/shaman of a faith.

b)

An official sanctioned member of church authority.

c)

A non-ordained member of a faith

d)

A female shaman/priest.

2.

Objects, places, people, or things forbidden by a faith are known as _____.

a)

idols

b)

ritual acts

c)

tattoos

d)

taboos

3.

The Judeo-Christian Ten Commandments are an example of a _____.

a)

treaty

b)

moral code

c)

contract

d)

covenant

4.

Hinduism is believed to have originated in the _____ River Valley.

a)

Tigris & Euphrates

b)

Indus

c)

Nile

d)

Ganges

5.

What is moksha to the Hindu faith?

a)

A special pilgrimage to the Himalayan region.

b)

The discipline of fasting.

c)

The giving of alms.

d)

The relief from the cycle of life and death.

6.

How does Hinduism approach the concept of reality?

a)

Reality is human suffering, which can only be changed through moksha.

b)

Reality is always changing and chaotic.

c)

Reality exists only in the afterlife.

d)

Reality is unified under a divine entity called Brahman.

7.

During the Vedic Period, which two cultures fused to form ancient Hinduism?

a)

Harappa and Aryan

b)

Vandal and Harappa

c)

Etruscan and Aryan

d)

Etruscan and Goth

8.

Which one of the following best defines Hinduism?

a)

An integrated, structured system of beliefs similar to Christianity, Islam

b)

The world's largest religion and a combination of the beliefs, cultural practice

c)

The world's oldest religion and a combination of the beliefs, cultural practice

d)

A unified system of beliefs that reflect the cultural practices, faith and

9.

The sacred text of Hinduism is called what?

a)

Qur'an

b)

Torah

c)

Analects

d)

Rigveda

10.

The sacred text of Islam is called what?

a)

Qur'an

b)

Torah

c)

Analects

d)

Rigveda

11.

The sacred text of Judaism is called what?

a)

Qur'an

b)

Torah

c)

Analects

d)

Rigveda

12.

The sacred text of Confucianism is called what?

a)

Qur'an

b)

Torah

c)

Analects

d)

Rigveda

13.

Which statement about Buddhism is NOT true?

a)

Most Buddhists are in India, the country where Buddhism was founded

b)

Scholars do not agree conclusively on when Buddhism was founded

c)

The founder of Buddhism is believed by many to have been a prince

d)

Its founder came to be known as Buddha, or The Enlightened One

14.

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the life of Siddhartha Gautama?

a)

Hindu priest who rejected the teachings of Hinduism and Christianity

b)

born wealthy / driven by the realization of suffering to seek enlightenment

c)

monk who rejected the teachings of other monks and created his own brand

d)

son of a Chinese king who left a life of splendor to help the poor

15.

What is Nirvanna?

a)

The type of tree that Gautama was sitting under when he reached divineness

b)

feeling of disillusionment with the Hindu religion

c)

highest level of divine consciousness at which point humans are free

d)

holy Indian city of which Gautama's father was ruler

16.

Asceticism can be understood as _____

a)

Indulging in self-gratification

b)

Achieving freedom from pain

c)

Imposing severe self-discipline

d)

Reaching a state of enlightenment

17.

What is NOT true about Master Kung?

a)

He is known as Confucius in the Western world.

b)

He was from an aristocratic family.

c)

He was born in Japan

d)

He was born around 551 BCE.

18.

Which political structure preceded Confucianism in China?

a)

Democracy

b)

Feudalism

c)

Socialism

d)

Oligarchy

19.

Which of the following is NOT an example of the 'five key relationships' promoted in the Jen (Ren) principle?

a)

A master honors his servant for working hard even in his absence.

b)

A father teaches his son skills for success in life.

c)

One feudal lord steals land from another feudal lord.

d)

A husband provides physically and emotionally for his wife.

20.

How did Confucianism eventually spread around the world?

a)

Master Kung's family members traveled outside of China to spread his belief

b)

Master Kung traveled in China during the 18th century to spread his beliefs

c)

Mencius spread the philosophy throughout China after Master Kung died

d)

Kung's relationship with feudal lords caused them to adopt his teachings

21.

Which of the following best describes the comparison between Christianity and Confucianism?

a)

Unlike Christianity, Confucianism does not teach respect for elders.

b)

Unlike Christianity, Confucianism does not teach the worship of a god.

c)

Unlike Christianity, Confucianism does not have any religious text.

d)

Unlike Christianity, Confucianism does not put emphasis on human behavior

22.

The act of venerating elders and ancestors, at times even through sacrifice, is called _____ in Confucianism

a)

Filial Piety

b)

Gui

c)

Jing

d)

Lunyu

23.

A Confucian leader who possesses Te is referred to as a _____

a)

Chuang-Tzu

b)

Chun-Tzu

c)

Lieh-Tzu

d)

Lao-Tzu

24.

Which of the following is TRUE about the Confucian concept of Te?

a)

Te is translated as moral power and developed due to an emphasis on laymen

b)

Te is translated as moral power and developed due to an emphasis on rulers

c)

Te is translated as way to heaven & developed due to an emphasis on rulers

d)

Te is translated as a way to heaven due to an emphasis on monasteries

25.

Filial Piety is concerned with _____.

a)

refusal to intermarry

b)

accepting unmarried women into ordination

c)

deep respect for young children

d)

deep respect for one's elders

26.

Which of the following is true of Confucianism?

a)

It bans communication between the living and the dead.

b)

It never deals with personal conduct

c)

It has a code of conduct that deals with attitude, motivation, and behavior

d)

It is based on great allegiance to one god.

27.

Taoism is believed to have originated in _____.

a)

China

b)

India

c)

Nepal

d)

Vietnam

28.

Which of these men is believed to be the first to receive the revelation of the Tao?

a)

Vishnu

b)

Lao-tzu

c)

Siddhartha Gautama

d)

Yang-ming

29.

Which of these statements is the most historically accurate?

a)

Taoism was founded in the year 392 BCE.

b)

Taoism was founded in the year 562 BCE.

c)

Taoism was founded in the year 450 BCE.

d)

No one is really sure when Taoism began to form.

30.

Sam has read on Taoism and considers herself to be Taoist. Which of the following would best describe her belief system?

a)

A strong belief in social classes

b)

A belief in capitalism

c)

A belief in simplicity and harmony

d)

A belief in an organized structure of society

31.

Which of the following statements is NOT a belief about God shared by Jews, Christians, and Muslims?

a)

Their god is all powerful.

b)

Jesus Christ is the messiah

c)

Their god is all seeing.

d)

Their god is all knowing.

32.

How are the Torah and the Christian Bible similar? How are they different?

a)

The Torah is the Old Test., while the Christian Bible is only the New Test.

b)

Torah is the Old Test., while the Christian Bible contains the Old & New Test.

c)

The Torah and the Christian Bible are exactly the same

d)

Torah is a record of past events, while Christian Bible is a moral guide

33.

Which of the following is one of the Five Pillars of Islam?

a)

Recognizing Jesus as God's messenger

b)

Recognizing Allah as one of various Gods

c)

Circumcision

d)

Fasting during the month of Ramadan

34.

Why do Jews practice circumcision?

a)

Circumcision is one of the Five Pillars.

b)

Circumcision is required by the New Testament.

c)

Circumcision is a symbol of the covenant between the Jews and God.

d)

Circumcision is written in the Ten Commandments.

35.

How does Judaism differ from other religions in regard to beliefs about the creation of the world?

a)

They believe God spoke it into existence.

b)

They believe it began as a result of battle.

c)

They believe it was created through sex.

d)

They believe the Big Bang caused it.

36.

Why was the Ark of the Covenant so important to the Hebrews?

a)

It served as a tool in the sacrifice of Abraham's son.

b)

It was an idol, the physical representation of God used by the Hebrews

c)

It contained the written version of the hundreds of laws Moses created

d)

It contained the original Ten Commandments written by God himself.

37.

How old is the Jewish faith?

a)

> 3,000 years

b)

> 30,000 years

c)

> 300 years

d)

There is no way of knowing

38.

Which of the following is the main reason why Judaism has survived for so many years when other religions haven't

a)

Jewish religious texts have been translated to European languages.

b)

Jewish holidays are ingrained in the society of the United States

c)

Judaism has a holy text to preserve its beliefs, laws and history.

d)

Jewish law prohibits marrying outside of the religion.

39.

What is the "lands of Canaan"?

a)

The area of land in and around Mecca.

b)

The location where Buddha reached Nirvana.

c)

The area of land where Jesus Christ rose from the dead

d)

The area of land promised to Abraham, by god, to reward him for his faith

40.

Who is considered the father of Judaism?

a)

Mencius

b)

Isaac

c)

Abu Bakr

d)

Abraham

41.

Which of these is NOT true of Judaism?

a)

It has millions of followers.

b)

It is one of the world's youngest religions

c)

It holds to the Torah.

d)

It is monotheistic.

42.

What do Reform and Conservative Jewish denominations have in common?

a)

They both are more popular in Europe and the USA than in Israel

b)

They both see Judaism as purely a religious category

c)

They both see the Torah as having no divine attribution

d)

They both recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah

43.

A strict adherence to the laws of the Torah is a definitive trait of which denomination of Judaism?

a)

Conservative Judaism

b)

Messianic Judaism

c)

Orthodox Judaism

d)

Reform Judaism

44.

Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative Judaism mainly disagree on what topic?

a)

The absolute divinity of the law

b)

The divinity of Jesus Christ

c)

The existence of Moses

d)

The close association between Jewish religion and ethnic/cultural identity

45.

Yom Kippur is also known as the _____.

a)

End of Harvest

b)

Day of Atonement

c)

First day of Spring

d)

Jewish New Year

46.

What does the Passover commemorate?

a)

The creation of the world.

b)

The judgement of the past year's sins.

c)

freedom of Jews from Egyptian slavery & the passing over of the death angel

d)

The renewal of Spring and the rebirth of God.

47.

Almost the entire Christian Bible was written by _____ men.

a)

Greek

b)

Jewish

c)

Persian

d)

Christian

48.

The early Christian church sprang from Judaism during the reign of the _____ empire.

a)

Persian

b)

Sumerian

c)

Egyptian

d)

Roman

49.

Which religion was at the roots of early Christian church?

a)

Islam

b)

Hinduism

c)

Buddhism

d)

Judaism

50.

What is the belief in Trinity?

a)

God is the Father, God is the Son, and God is the Holy Spirit.

b)

God is the Father, God is the Mother, and God is the Child.

c)

Jesus was Jewish as well as Christian and Muslim.

d)

Following the crucifixion, Jesus was resurrected on three occasions.

51.

Why did Constantine initially convert to Christianity around 312CE?

a)

he prayed to the pagan gods and they didn't send help

b)

he was frustrated with corruption and believed a new religion could help

c)

he read the Bible and wanted a religion where all men would be equal

d)

he prayed during the battle of Milvian Bridge and thought he saw the vision

52.

How did Constantinism revise the role of the church and state?

a)

It emphasized the unity of all naturally born Romans.

b)

It focused on the integration of church and state.

c)

It focused on the necessity of an inclusive society without slavery.

d)

It emphasized the special role of a secular state.

53.

Which of the following was the main reason for the failure of almost all of the Christian Crusades?

a)

inferior military technology.

b)

the complexities of Middle Eastern politics.

c)

a gross ignorance of Middle Eastern geography and climate.

d)

a lack of food and water.

54.

Why was the the Sixth Crusade, which was led by Frederick II of Germany, successful?

a)

Frederick II learned Arabic and succeeded through means of diplomacy.

b)

Frederick II enlisted the English and their superior naval power.

c)

The Muslim forces were out-manned and outgunned by European forces.

d)

The Muslim forces in Jerusalem were disorganized and caught off guard.

55.

The Great Schism divided Christianity into _____.

a)

Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy

b)

Western Orthodoxy and Judaism

c)

Lutheranism and Catholicism

d)

Calvinism and Eastern Orthodoxy

56.

Which city remains the holiest city to all Muslims?

a)

Damascus

b)

Mecca

c)

Medina

d)

Jerusalem

57.

The followers of Abu Bakr would come to be known as the _____ Muslims.

a)

Sufi

b)

Orthodox

c)

Shia

d)

Sunni

58.

Which world faith was NOT practiced in the Middle East when Mohammed was born?

a)

Polytheistic idol worship

b)

Zoroastrianism

c)

Buddhism

d)

Judaism

59.

Why did Mohammed decide to migrate to Medina from Mecca?

a)

The people welcomed him as a prophet and political leader.

b)

He wanted to marry Khadijah, who was living in Medina.

c)

He wanted Medina to become the main holy city of the Muslims.

d)

Medina was near the path where polytheist caravans would pass, for raiding.

60.

The Abbasid family brought Islam to a 'Golden Age' but would ultimately be defeated at the hands of the _____.

a)

Umayyads

b)

Byzantine

c)

Christian Crusaders

d)

Mongols

61.

How were the Sassanid and Byzantine Empires similar?

a)

They both had a weak economy in the time of Mohammed.

b)

They both attacked Mohammed and his rising empire.

c)

They were both the target of an Islamic religious jihad.

d)

The majority of their populations were practicing Christians.

62.

How did the claim of Ali to become Mohammed's successor differ from that of Abu Bakr?

a)

Ali was supported by the Sunnis, while Abu Bakr was supported by the Shia.

b)

Ali was Mohammed's son, while Abu Bakr was not related to him.

c)

Ali was chosen by the elders, but Abu Bakr had the support of the populace.

d)

Ali was related to Mohammed, but Abu Bakr was the first male Islam convert.

63.

Which of the following individuals was MOST likely to believe in Zoroastrianism in the time of Mohammed?

a)

A follower of Mohammed from Mecca.

b)

An artist from the Sassanid Empire.

c)

A trader from Rome.

d)

A young warrior who lived in Byzantium.