Sadly, I think the appalling lack of knowledge people display about their own faiths is due to the reduction of religion to feelings. They only know enough to feel better about themselves ("God loves me and forgives me.") but nothing about the considerable intellectual heritage of their respective faiths, much less that of anyone else. Even if you disagree with elements of your own religion, wrestling with them gives you spiritual, intellectual and moral "muscle tone." As in other areas of life, we Americans are lazy when it comes to exploring the larger issues of life, death, purpose, and a consistent ethic.

Constant study in all areas showed me that the Catholic Church really is the fullness of the revelation of God to man. They were right time after time, on every subject, always, and continue to be.

I grew up Catholic and now Pagan. Paganism is such a broad term and there are many branches to the tree that is Paganism. I believe in a Goddess and God and both have several names depending on the path you are walking.

It's hard for a Pagan to come out of the "Boom Closet" because many people have negative connotations regarding my religion. Many believe that we worship like that Tea Party conservative Christine O'Donnell ... which did little but boil my blood. There are some people think that we conjure up spirits or more specifically the "devil" to harm others and do not bother to understand. Many of us are in the "broom closet" because of fear; fear of being fired, discriminated, disowned by family, physically hurt, ect. It's a shame people aren't as tolerant as I would hope.

I actually did pretty well on the test: 80%

I have not heard much about Buddhism in this discussion. If you research this spiritual group, you will find that they are very learned about their tenets. This is so because Buddhism is not based on Faith, but rather on the commitment to find one's true nature through meditation. Therefore, you can't be a buddhist just by name. Your meditation practice, study of Dharma and compassionate approach to life is your spirituality. It is a very disciplined journey that reveals your true nature as pure and compassionate.

I would like to see more of this view shared in your radio program.

Prothro was right it was too easy. Unbelievable but I bet the same could be done with other subjects like the periodic table, American Literature, etc. It is all about how people educate themselves within the world around them. I guess there is just no money to be made in being a "well rounded person".

The world is full of wonderful things and terrible things, but to ascribe these to some unknowable being is the work of a childish mind.
The only supportable view of a thinking adult is to stand in awe and appreciate what we see.
If there were a god, who gave us these brains to use, she/he/it must be ashamed of how we use them.

Raised in three denominations of Christianity, was married to a Jewish woman, and I'm good friends with a Muslim; but I am wholeheartedly atheist. When trying to understand the wild contortions people of faith have to go through to justify their beliefs, you study a lot. Reading the Bible, Koran and other religious writings did more to make me a whole-hearted atheist than anything else; not the smug behavior of most Evangelicals, not the wildly archaic morality, but the bizarre behavior of the supreme being. I mean, Martin Luther was wildly xenophobic, but that's nothing compared to Jehova's wiping out entire tribes down to the children, or the behavior of Jesus cursing the fig tree for not bearing figs (out of season for figs). "Oh it's Allegory" the great cry of the saved when their deity's behavior is on display. No thanks.

I am an Evangelical Christian. I took the online quiz and answered all the questions correctly. You failed to mention that the survey was directed at young Americans, who are uninformed about a lot of things besides world religions, thanks to the dumbing down of our schools and universities.

My parents were both raised Catholic, but family lore is, they were 'excommunicated' when they eloped in the late 40's. I did not grow up with any religion. I firmly believe people should have the right to worship a fire hydrant if they wish - just don't make government policy from it. It's not so much religion i have a problem with, it's what people do in the name of it....the hypocrisy is revolting. I am pretty sure Jesus would be ok with same sex marriage...he was all about love, right??

My family was not religious (they were disinfranchised from when they were kids), but I wanted to know what I was 'supposed' to believe in. After research in the major world religions I decided to follow Jesus. For me, it was knowing what was true, not what my family did or didn't believe. As a parent, I want to teach my children about Jesus, but foster a desire to know truth. Which I do believe means introducing them to other religions as well.

if people think that the dependency on religion in the US is waning they should look at reports about Europe. We here in the US look like resolute bible bangers compared to some countries. Catholic service attendance in Italy has fallen off... to the point of no one in attendance whereas it has become SRO here in some US cities.

I was raised Episcopal but I am an Agnostic by my choice and I always tell people that I am spiritual not religious. The only way I can resolve this with some is to say "God created spirituality, Man created religion to explain things he didn't understand in the natural world and to give order to his world." To me spirituality is an overwhelming love for our fellow man, respect for our planet and reveling in the unexplainable miracles that happen each day...

I ask, whats more important? piety or a strong moral compass? As we all know there have been lots of "religious" people that have done morally reprehensible things, priest pedophilia being among some of the worst and the cover up by the church of their crimes.

Does piety and ability to memorize verse and text excuse abhorrent behavior? What actually makes a "good" Christian, Buddhist, Jew etc? Knowledge of their religion or walking the walk of the most basic moral tenant of most religions world wide of you reap what you sew, do unto others as they do unto you, an eye for an eye or even the basic concept of Karma?

New meaning to the words, BLIND FAITH

What is even more worrisome in the twenty first something century is that waaaay too many Americans are uninformed about cappuccino! Try ordering a dry cappuccino anywhere... People pretend to know the difference between a cappuccino and a latte, but they don't. And if you don't know anything about cappuccino, chances are that you have no clue who cappunier monks are as well, which means that you don't have a clue about Christianity.

One of your guests suggested that atheists and agnostics knew more because they had to arm themselves to effectively argue with the believers. I never argue with believers, that would be rude. I am agnostic because I realize that no one on this speck of dust floating in the cosmos can know or even imagine what is or is not. I read and investigate religion because it helps me understand human behavior. Crazy behavior!

I'm not a true believer. I figured religion came about to calm the nerves of the dying and it snowballed into a way for people to harness political power. People seem more willing to fight for their leader if their leader is directly connected to the divine. The mythology is often silly. The stories tend to ignore physics and, many times, reason. God(s) come off as as impulsive and destructive beings. And what's up with that insatiable need to be worshipped and loved? (The quiz website is currently overloaded... probably with smarty-pants atheists.)

I am Jewish (and was a proud atheist but abandoned it in my early 20's). I became a Christian (still Jewish) a short time later. I am overwhelmed at how poorly your polled Christian quiz takers did since most of the people that are close to me know the answers to most of the questions. The one question I missed had a double answer but I'll concede maybe I don't know it as well as I should. (So I'll read. I'm currently reading the Koran and a book about the Middle East by Bernard Lewis.) I'm also surprised at the level of vitriol in the atheists who have posted. While Christians certainly can be blamed for their own contribution to stupidity (myself included), they certainly are no corner on the market and are no more to blame than any other group. Every society (atheists included) has their fare share of Elmer Gantry's and Terry Jones'.

I recently went to church with a friend who has been practicing Nondenominational Christianity her entire 22 year tenure on Earth. On the way there it came up that Jesus was a carpenter, which she refused to believe. She thought he was a baker. A BAKER! I mean, I know it's not one of important parts of Christianity or anything, but shouldn't that be common knowledge among his followers. How would it seem if we didn't know what our friends' careers are, nonetheless the man we choose to devote our lives to?

As I listened this morning, I did not hear any mention of the people who involve themselves in a religious faith because they want to be told what to believe, think and do. They don't want to work on their faith by expanding their knowledge; they just want to feel good and have someone tell them what to do.

So a bunch of atheists passed a test that was designed by an atheist polling group? What else would you expect? It says nothing about the true nature of people. Take the NY Times so-called religious expert "the practically perfect" Laurie Goodstein for example. Maybe she memorized some facts about religion in a classroom, but if she saw somebody bleeding on the street, she would walk right past them without lifting a finger. I doubt she even gives a dime towards any charity. On the other hand you have thousands of Christian missionaries who work tirelesly for the poor and hungry throughout the world. Supported by a network of genorous donors. Last time I looked there weren't many Atheist soup kitchens or hospitals to be found. Mother Theresa might have failed your test, but she carried the love of God in her heart. That's what really counts.

And let's be honest. You would never have reported this if the outcome had been different. Religious Americans are out there saving lives everyday, and not a mention of it. But as soon as there is something negative about religion, you can be sure The Takeaway will be there to broadcast it. Maybe that was the real "takeaway" from this study.

Please note that your current link to 'the quiz' is actually a shortened/changed version of the actual phone quiz. Not only are there less than half the questions, the wording of the questions has been modified. At the end of the quiz there is a link to the phone survey - why not give us the link/option for that? (it's what I really wanted) I found the 15 questions too easy (only missed the last one.)

Faith by definition is believing in something without proof. Religion is faith in some supernatural power. Then what is the point in questioning if someone knows about religion? Isn't it oxymoronic? Different cultures of the World have developed philosophies that were conveniently hijacked by the religions. When that happens, does it matter which religion one belongs? They are all blind, desperately trying to prove that they are not!

I noticed at Barnes and Noble they have a religious fiction section. As opposed to religious fact I guess.
If Tobacco companies can be required to pay damages for the damaging effects of their product, would the courts award me cash for the psychological damage I incurred as a result of being convinced as a child by the Catholic church that there existed an alternate reality where I would exist for all eternity in either bliss or suffering based on my behavior while I lived on earth? Oh and btw the church gets to decide which behaviors get you in to heaven and which get you into hell. Gee I wonder if tithing helps? Why couldn't they wait until I was an adult to explain this to me? I think because children are maleable and easily controlled. I'm all for freedom of religion but if the childhood endoctrination causes psychological damage then the institution should be held accountable for the damages.

My question is, "who gloats more about winning?" My guess is that we Atheists are more prone to saying "in your face" than a Buddhist would be, for example. The Evangelical Protestants will just deny the veracity of the evidence.

Raised Catholic, currently atheist, I got all but one question correct. Beyond religious training in my early years and curiosity about the world, I think simply being a NYC resident helped me to answer these. I wonder if simply having greater exposure to people of different faiths would encourage Americans to learn more about religions that are not their own and to perhaps examine their own religion more closely.

As an agnostic, I think this study shows a lack of thorough investigation of anything (not just religion) in the United States. Some of us just listen to what the "leaders" say and go about our merry way. I do feel there should be more comparative study of all religious so everyone will be informed when they make choices on what to follow or not.

I'm an atheist; I want to take the Pew quiz.

Practitioners of religion likely know less about multiple religions because if you believe that your faith is the one true faith, why would you make any effort to learn about other faiths?

I do not believe in practicing any religion of any kind. I am an informed Secular Humanist. I believe that religion is a crutch and is quite possibly the single biggest cause of conflict in the world and always has been. I am a 32 year old mother of two and I am a very happy person. I don't believe that I need religion, nor do I believe my children need it. I am teaching them to be good for the sake of being good and about the overall importance of respecting all life. I am not teaching them to be good because some magic guy in the sky will send them to burn in a pit of fire for eternity.

I am so tired of people overstepping their boundaries and not respecting my view because I choose to live a life without religion. People try to pressure me to go to church even after I've thoroughly explained my views. There is no respect for people like me who choose to live without mythology as a guide.

I was raised Catholic, but I'm agnostic right now. My dad was a devout Catholic, while my mother was a Methodist-raised closet atheist. I've read quite a bit of the Bible, both old and new testaments. While I don't go to church, I think ...this Bible reading is family tradition. My great-grandmother was a legendary Bible expert, having literally worn out two Bibles in her time (the spines crumbled due to excessive use and reference) and was well into doing the same to a third when she died.

Whether or not there is a supreme being is not relevant to me. I value the cultural component of religion, despite my non-belief. When I have kids, I won't take them to church, and my wife and I don't go to church, ourselves. But considering how much Christianity has influenced Western civilization, it's only appropriate to aspire to a grounding in the Bible. If there were a way to teach the Bible in a secular way, I'd advocate teaching Biblical history in public schools.

I'm always interested to learn about others' religious traditions, and I can't help asking people questions about their religions--especially when they belong to one of America's minority religions, like Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, etc. My other favorite topic is politics, so if you want a

I'm an atheist, and I got 100% correct on your religion/history quiz.

The generally abysmal scores don't simply reflect a low knowledge of religion, but also the general lack of interest in history and culture endemic in our country.

It might be one thing to despair about the prevailing aspirations of our citizenry; one wonders with apprehension how our political and business leaders would score on such a test.

What is it about our society that causes even mild evidence of cultural awareness to be branded as elitism? How does this affect our interactions with the larger world?

I'd have to agree. I believe 100% in god. Im catholic more by tradition. Im more self taught than formally. I dont follow the catholic church fully, ( the scandle has only amplified that) but I think some of your findings is related to freedom of religion. My family in south america is much more enveloped in relgion. Around town, at work, just about everywhere. thats where I see the big difference.

At least some of the causality leading to the results of this poll must run from knowing more about all religions to not believing the theology of any.