The Pew Research Center has completed a new survey of Americans to find out how much we know about religion. The answer is… not much.
The average number of correct answers on the 32 question test was 16, which is a failing grade in any classroom.
Fewer than half of Protestant Christians surveyed could pick the founder of their own religion in a multiple-choice question.
Interestingly, people that identified themselves as Agnostic or Atheist knew more about religion than any other group.
Alan Cooperman, associate director for research at the Pew Forum, said that the results are not surprising. Atheists and Agnostics often grew up in religious families and gave up that faith after years of careful consideration and study.
Catholics had the lowest scores. In Catholicism, the bread and wine used in Communion is thought to actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Only about half of the Catholics surveyed knew that; the rest thought it was just symbolic.
Boston University Professor, Stephen Prothero, called the US “a nation of religious illiterates.”
”We have a lot of people who really love Jesus, but don't know much about him.”
Think you can score higher than the average American? Take the Pew Forum quiz here.
The fact that it's Friday is cause enough for celebration, but today is also “Hug a Vegetarian” Day! Our friends at peta2 have set up a cool page where you can pledge to give a certain number of hugs, create your own ad (staring you), and print out “Free Vegetarian Hugs” signs.
Plus, it’s Free Stuff Friday at peta2. For your chance to win a free “Tofu Makes Me So-So Happy” tee and a pack of bracelets, visit this page and share how many people you’ve hugged today.
Thinking about trying the veggie life but haven’t taken the plunge? Try it out for 30 days. Go here for your free vegetarian starter kit with recipes, restaurant tips, advice about getting all of your vitamins, words from Natalie Portman, Paul McCartney, and much more.
Now, go hug someone!
You can earn donations to help animals any day of the year by supporting peta2 on SocialVibe.
Stephen Colbert will be on Capitol Hill Friday, but not to conduct another joke interview with a Senator. He’ll be testifying – in character - before members of Congress, during an immigration hearing.
Colbert spent a day working on a farm in August after the United Farm Workers President appeared on his show to promote “Take Our Jobs.” The campaign aimed to make people realize that America’s food supply really is dependent on these workers.
"Farm workers are ready to welcome citizens and legal residents who wish to replace them in the field. We will use our knowledge and staff to help connect the unemployed with farm employers."
Despite more than three million people visiting the website, only seven (yes, 7) have taken them up on their offer to work in agriculture.
The AgJOBS Bill would grant undocumented farm workers who are already working on farms here in the US, the ability to earn their citizenship by continuing to work on farms. Colbert will be there to support it.
Like it or not, celebs often have more influence than many (if not most) members of Congress. They have the ability to call attention to legislation that might go unnoticed by the general public, but should they be able to appear before our representatives and weigh in on policy issues like health and immigration?
We always hear about how terrible TV is; it contributes to the obesity epidemic, is linked to attention disorders, and harms values by highlighting the worst society has to offer.
Lets take a few steps back. Is TV really that bad? After all, we can choose what we watch (and don’t watch) and no one is forcing you to spend hours a day planted on your couch. Like many things, it's all about selectivity and moderation.
The Norman Lear Center at USC has outlined 10 reasons that TV is GOOD for you. Check out a few of them, below.
TV Can Change Policy
In 2005, Congress unanimously passed the Patient Navigator Act after being shown an episode of ER. An episode of Law & Order that dealt with pesticides elicited an official response from the Environmental Protection Agency.
TV Can Make Us Smarter
Of course you can learn from documentaries and shows on PBS or The History Channel, but Author Steven Johnson (Everything Bad is Good for You) argues that keeping up with increasingly complex storylines in some series can actually make us smarter. He used The Sopranos as an example. Don’t expect the same benefits if you’re watching Jersey Shore.
TV Can Save Lives
By incorporating topics like alcohol abuse, HIV/AIDS, or childhood obesity into their storylines, popular TV shows have a unique ability to educate enormous groups of people that might otherwise never take time to learn about a certain issue. In some cases, they might not even know the issue exists. A study showed that, after viewing an episode of Numb3rs about organ donation, people were more likely to register to become donors themselves. TV remains an important means of getting the word out about things like food recalls or new vaccines.
Research has shown that lonely people can benefit from watching favorite characters on TV.
Just remember: all things in moderation.
See the entire list of reasons that TV is good for you here.
Tough times for the average person mean even tougher times for charities. While fewer people are donating money, more people (and animals) than ever are in need of their services. Here are a few simple things you can do for free this weekend that will leave your home a little cleaner and the world a little brighter.
Raid your pantry. We all have a few boxes and cans sitting in cupboards that we know we’ll probably never use.
With the huge number of people visiting food banks, those items can really help someone out and the extra space in your kitchen will come in handy with the holidays just around the corner. Grab that cherry pie filling you bought for a BBQ in July, the muffin mix you meant to use last time family stayed over, and the low-sodium soup that you bought 4 cans of and just didn’t like. Toss them in a bag and drop it off at a local food bank. Find one here.
Clean out your linen closet. Those ratty old blankets and towels with frayed edges can keep a shelter dog warm this winter.
Most shelters depend on donations from the public for items like these and without them, dogs are forced to sleep on cement that’s cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Shelters are overrun with pets abandoned or turned in by their owners who’ve lost jobs in the bad economy. This weekend, help a homeless pup while freeing up some space in your linen closet by donating your shabby towels, blankets or even rugs. Find a shelter near you here.
Donate your wedding or prom dress.
Those things take up lots of space and lets face it, your future daughter/niece/little sister is just not going to wear it. Makingmemories.org makes dreams come true for women with metastatic breast cancer. Dresses that aren’t worn by brides in need are auctioned off and funds are used to help the cause.
Have a prom dress taking up space in your closet? It could be a dream come true for a girl who can’t afford to buy one of her own. Find a drop-off location at donatemydress.org.
Get your medicine cabinet in shipshape.
We all have shampoo that we tried and didn’t like and a bottle or two of gift-basket lotion that smelled less than amazing. Put them to good use by donating things like soap, deodorant, or unused medications that will be good for at least 6 more months at worldmedicalrelief.org.
And last but certainly not least, make sure you’re a member of SocialVibe! It may not make your house any cleaner but each activity you do directly raises money for a great cause.
Calling all high school & college students! Want to make the world a better place and have a chance to win the trip of a lifetime while completing your community service hours? We’ve got just the thing for you: Invisible Children’s 2010 Schools for Schools program.
More than 2 decades of war left much of Uganda without access to education. Families were displaced, schools were abandoned, thousands of children were kidnapped and used as soldiers, and a generation grew up knowing nothing but war and violence.
Now that the LRA rebel army has left Uganda, Invisible Children is working to make sure that the next generation of leaders have access to quality education. They’re changing the course of history and asking you to be a part of it.
Here’s how it works:
- Sign up your school here. Be sure to check this page and make sure that yours isn’t already signed up.
- Rally the troops! Work with friends, teachers and your student government to get the word out on campus and start raising that dough.
- Turn in all funds by December 17th. The top schools will be announced on the 22nd, and each will have the opportunity to send a representative to Uganda to see the impact, firsthand.
Put “Change for Change” jars in classrooms, find out if $1 from each ticket to a dance can be donated, sell treats at football games or lunch, throw an s4s party. Check out the list of fundraising ideas that have been successful for other schools here.
The TV network Halogen will match donations up to $1,000 per school for a total of up to $100,000. Earn your school’s first $1,000 quickly to have it doubled!
Starting a tradition like this at your school would be a pretty sweet addition to any college app., but the best part is knowing that YOU are creating a better future for someone.
Whether you're a high school student, a 20-something, or a retiree, you can earn donations to help educate war-affected children in Uganda by supporting Invisible Children on SocialVibe.
Though extraordinary people can be found in every corner in the world, a gifted child born in a wealthy society has a significant edge over one born into poverty.
Image of poor child via charity: water (Ethiopia)
The same goes for the rest of us average folks. Looking at health, education, economy, and politics, Newsweek has ranked the top 100 countries in the world to find out which offer the best opportunities to live a “healthy, safe, reasonably prosperous, and upwardly mobile life.”
They refer to billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett saying that his wealth and success can be attributed to being born in the United States at the right time and set out to learn whether those born in the US today have the same benefits.
Check out the top 20, as ranked by their team of experts:
1. Finland
2. Switzerland
3. Sweden
4. Australia
5. Luxembourg
6. Norway
7. Canada
8. Netherlands
9. Japan 10. Denmark
11. United States
12. Germany
13. New Zealand
14. United Kingdom
15. South Korea
16. France
17. Ireland
18. Austria
19. Belgium 20. Singapore
Do any of the rankings surprise you? Which criteria do you believe are most important to success? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Aspiring billionaire Travie McCoy, B-baller Shaq, some not-so-desperate housewives, a couple of Kardashian sisters, and all three Jonas brothers are among the more than 150 celebs participating in an innovative new auction to benefit orphans and special-needs children in Haiti.
TwitChange is not your typical celebrity auction. Instead of bidding on an autographed picture, you can bid on actual attention from your favorite celeb! Winning bidders will be followed, retweeted, mentioned, or all three by their favorite celebrity on Twitter.
Eva Longoria will tell you all about it:
Bidding begins Wednesday, September 15th and lasts for 10 days. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to aHomeInHaiti.org to help build a permanent home for disabled children and orphans in Haiti.
Find out if your fave actor/athlete/musician is participating by checking out twitchange.com. For all you Bieber fans (we know you're out there) - yes, he's in. Happy bidding!
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