Akhnaton Trivia Quiz

Answer: Aten

The full name of Akhnaton's god was 'The Rahorus who rejoices in the horizon, in his/her Name of the Light which is seen in the sun disc', but it was usually shortened to Aten. This figure was a development from earlier gods (Rahorus evolved as an amalgamation of Ra and Horus) and adapted their symbols to display its supremacy over all other gods, as the sun is superior to all other stars. This is sometimes considered one of the earliest monotheistic (having one god) religions, although others consider it to be henotheistic (many gods with one of them reigning supreme).

Amenhotep IV (as he was known until the fifth year of his rule) changed his name to Akhnaton, meaning 'effective spirit of Aten', when he decided to introduce his new religious vision. Worship of Aten was effected during his reign, but within a dozen years of his death it had disappeared. Akhnaton himself was little remembered until the 18th century discovery of the ruins of Akhetaten, the city he built for the worship of Aten. Further interest was stimulated by the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, who was shown by DNA testing in 2010 to be Akhnaton's son.

Nut was an Egyptian god associated with the sky, Seth with the desert, and Bastet with cats.

Answer: The Book of Mormon

The full name of Joseph Smith's book was "The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi". This is one of the primary sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement (which includes a number of branches, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS, which is probably the most widely known group), originally organized to be a restoration of the early Christian church. The other texts usually considered as fundamental are The Bible, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.

The Avesta is a collection of religious texts that are central to the faith of Zoroastrians, The Koran is a holy book of Islam, and The Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible.

Answer: Seventh-day Adventists

There are a number of Adventist groups, of which the Seventh-day Adventists is the largest. They started in response to William Miller's pronouncement of the imminent Second Coming, based on his interpretation of the Book of Daniel, Chapter 8, verses 14-16.

While his calculation of the date was accepted, his understanding of its significance was challenged by those who chose to continue in the new belief, and Adventist groups concluded that the date marked the beginning of the time of judgment, during which each individual's eligibility for salvation would be determined. Christ's Second Coming is considered to be imminent, but with no fixed date.

The name Seventh-day Adventist relates to the decision among early church members that the Bible clearly states that the seventh day of the week (Saturday) is the one that should be celebrated as the Sabbath, rather than Sunday as used by most Christian churches.

Answer: Charles Guiteau and Leon Czolgosz

Charles Guiteau, who shot President James Garfield on July 2, 1881, and Leon Czolgosz, who shot President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, both spent time in the Oneida Community. Guiteau was a member for around five years, Czolgosz only briefly. All the people named in the incorrect answers were either successful (Booth, Oswald) or unsuccessful in their attempts to kill an American president.

The Oneida Community was a religious commune with a number of unorthodox practices. Considering that they were sanctified, they held that marriage and private property were abolished, as they were expressions of human frailty. Effectively, anyone could have a sexual relationship with anyone else - it was here that the phrase 'free love' originated. Specifically, it was seen as appropriate for post-menopausal women to form partnerships with young men, who found it difficult to practice the male continence that was considered ideal, as the women would not be susceptible to pregnancy as a result. The commune functioned effectively from its founding until about 1880, growing to have a membership of over 300 when Noyes had to flee to Canada to avoid arrest. Succession of leadership was disputed - he wanted his son Theodore to take over, but other members of the group were not willing to accept him, primarily because he was an atheist. The Oneida Community had many successful industries, including canning fruits and vegetables, and manufacture of annual traps, silk thread, leather bags, palm leaf hats and silverware. When the Community disbanded in 1881, the industries continued. In the early 20th century the company that had formed to run the businesses sold off all except the silverware manufacturing, which continues to operate in the early 21st century.

Answer: Theosophy

Theosophy (from Greek words meaning 'god' and 'wisdom') is a doctrine which considers all religions as attempts by the 'Spiritual Hierarchy' to help humans become more perfect; as such, all religions have some portion of the universal truth to impart. The Theosophical Society was established in New York by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott and William Quan Judge. Originally focusing on exploring mediumistic phenomena, the group's scope was made broader after the headquarters moved to India and the leaders started studying Eastern religions. The Society's official seal has a number of elements intended to express the universality of its beliefs and the fundamental unity of all religions: the motto "There is no religion higher than truth", an ankh (Egyptian symbol of resurrection), two interlaced triangles forming a six-sided star (which can be seen as the Jewish Seal of Solomon, as two triangles each representing the Christian Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit or the Hindu Trinity of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma), a serpent eating its own tail (symbol of wisdom in a number of cultures), a swastika (the fiery cross associated with the Holy Spirit and Brahma), and an aum (the sacred Hindu word 'om' as written in Sanskrit characters).

Wicca is a neo-pagan religion, Shinto is a Japanese religion, and Santeria is a syncretistic Caribbean religion, combining aspects of Roman Catholic and traditional African beliefs.

Answer: Mary Baker Eddy

Attributing her recovery from a severe fall in 1866 to her study of Matthew 9:2, Mary Baker Eddy proceeded to spend three years in Biblical study, which led her to develop the principles of Christian Science. In 1875 she published "Science and Health", which is considered the textbook of Christian Science. She convinced herself and others that illness could be healed through thought processes that had been strengthened by a clearer perception of God, and the Church of Christ, Scientist was officially established in 1879. Most Christian Scientists belong to The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts, but there are branches. In addition, Reading Rooms are maintained in many cities around the world, where one can read (or buy) Eddy's writings along with other Christian Science articles. The "Christian Science Monitor" was for years a respected newspaper covering US and international events, and is now an award-winning web site.

Fatima Zahra was the daughter of Muhammad, the prophet who established Islam in the 7th century. Ann Lee established the Shakers, or Shaking Quakers, also known as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, in the 18th century. Aimee Semple McPherson, also known as Sister Aimee, was an evangelist in the early 20th century who established the Foursquare Church.

Answer: Scientology

L. Ron Hubbard published his first writings on Dianetics in the magazine "Astounding Science Fiction" (for which he had earlier produced a number of SF stories) in 1949, having been unable to interest mainstream publishers. The term 'dianetics' comes from Greek words meaning 'through' and 'mind'. Dianetics considers that the mind has three parts: the conscious or analytical mind, the subconscious or reactive mind, and the somatic mind. The self-help goal, to be achieved through a questioning process called auditing, is to take the reactive mind out of the picture, leading to an increased level of ethical behavior, and greater happiness. The Church of Scientology was established in 1953 to facilitate this process.

Hare Krishna is the usual shorthand term used to refer to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, devotees of the Hindu god Krishna. Eckankar, also called the Religion of the Light and Sound of God, was founded in 1965 by Paul Twitchell. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion.

Answer: Jonestown

Jonestown became infamous when 918 people died there, and at nearby Port Kaituma airstrip, and in Guyana's capital of Georgetown, on November 18, 1978. The majority of the deaths were apparently suicide by cyanide poisoning at the temple, following the shooting of five people (including Congressman Leo Ryan, the first US congressman to be assassinated in the line of duty) and in anticipation of retaliation by authorities.

Many of those who died apparently drank a flavored drink containing potassium cyanide and potassium chloride, along with tranquilisers.

The phrase "Don't drink the Kool-Aid" is an admonishment not to mindlessly adopt the dogma of a group or leader without first attempting to work out the full implications of those beliefs.

It should be noted, however, that the flavored drink used was not actually Kool-Aid, but another brand of drink.

Answer: Waco, Texas

I won't bore you with the details of the theological arguments between these various groups. It is enough to know that when the Branch Davidians split over a leadership issue in 1984, Vern Howell and his supporters gained control of the Mount Carmel Centre, a property about 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Waco, Texas. Among other reforms, Vern announced that he had been told by God to establish 'the house of David', in which all marriages were to be dissolved, and only he could have sexual relations with the women. In 1990 Howell had his name legally changed to David Koresh.

The Davidian Branch Davidians hit the headlines during the Waco Siege, which began on February 28, 1993 when agents of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives attempted to execute a search warrant, based on allegations that the group was stockpiling weapons. The shootout that ensued left four agents and six of Koresh's followers dead. The Federal Bureau of Investigation then set up a siege that lasted for 50 days, when a second attempt to enter the property was made. During this, fire destroyed the compound and 76 people died, including David Koresh.

Answer: Pastafarianism

Pastafarianism (a word play reference to Rastafarianism) was originally intended as a satirical protest against the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in Kansas public schools. Describing a belief system in which a supernatural creator, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, closely resembles a serving of spaghetti and meatballs, Henderson argued for the right of his theory of creation to also be given equal time in the classroom. After he published the letter on his web site, Pastafarianism quickly became an Internet hit, and the details of belief were more fully developed in his book, "The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster".

Festivus, a holy day for the rest of us, was introduced to the world by the TV show "Seinfeld". The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism is the religion of choice for most residents of Springfield in the TV show "The Simpsons". The Holy Reformed Church of the Almighty Purple Llama is a parody of the convoluted names and beliefs of a number of reform groups, and of theism in general.