Religious Knowledge Test

Quote: JerryLogan

Even Atheism has a price: They are the unhappiest, most cynical people on earth.

What garbage. I was in Mensa for 20 years and they were ALL atheists and they were just like everybody else. Some were happy, some were not. What a dumb thing to say.

Quote: Mosca

This is done here in Pennsylvania; they are placed at the sites of fatal accidents.

California and Nevada too. However, I don't think that is the only reason for these things in Mexico. You see these things on flat stretches of road miles from the nearest town, between Mexicali and San Felipe. Yes, accidents can happen anywhere, but the sheer number of these shrines doesn't seem statistically likely to be directly correlated to highway deaths in the same location. Maybe these people died in a roadside accident elsewhere, but there was nowhere to put a permanent shrine, and the Baja desert seemed more scenic anyway. Then again, maybe these are shrines to Saint Guadalupe, as nareed mentioned.

Quote: EvenBob

What garbage. I was in Mensa for 20 years and they were ALL atheists and they were just like everybody else. Some were happy, some were not. What a dumb thing to say.

That is five requests for a clarification so far.

Okay, I found a website on roadside shrines, which answers the question. It says they are built for the general glory of god, but for a variety of specific reasons. It is worth going to site for a full explanation. Out of respect of copyright, I don't want to just copy and paste the full text here.

Quote: Wizard

Okay, I found a website on roadside shrines, which answers the question.

Interesting.

BTW there are shrines, usually to the Virgin of Guadalupe, in just about every workplace in the country. Most often these are adorned with flowers rather than candles. Some people have such shrines in their homes, too.

Quote: Nareed

BTW there are shrines, usually to the Virgin of Guadalupe, in just about every workplace in the country. Most often these are adorned with flowers rather than candles. Some people have such shrines in their homes, too.

Who is the Virgin of Guadalupe anyway? Is she the same woman as the Virgin Mary?

Quote: Wizard

Who is the Virgin of Guadalupe anyway? Is she the same woman as the Virgin Mary?

In Catholic belief--especially in Hispanic cultures--the Virgin Mary is the all-purpose saint. She descends from heaven to perform various and sundry miracles, like curing lepers or appearing on a magic tortilla. Frequently a church is named after her: "The Virgin of (wherever)", at the site of a supposed earthly visitation/miracle. The particular "miracle" associated with the Virgin of Guadalupe was that an image of her mysteriously appeared on the cloak of a peasant. This happened sometime in the 16th century. She had also appeared to the peasant on a tortilla, but the peasant ate it.

I believe that Mary is used as the Swiss army knife because other, garden-variety saints aren't supposed to be able to re-visit Earth after their ascension (you would think the elevator could be ridden both ways, but...).

Quote: Wizard

Who is the Virgin of Guadalupe anyway? Is she the same woman as the Virgin Mary?

I think so.

As I understand Catholic belief, the Virgin Mary has appeared here and there and done something. She appeared in Mexico at the time of it was a Spanish colony to a peasant named Juan Diego. Allegedly the fabric on display at the church built for her has her image miraculosly imprinted on it.

She's the patron saint of the country, whatever the hell that means. When Miguel Hidalgo launched a rebellion against the colonial authorities, he carried a standard depicting the Virgin. Of course he was a priest, so maybe that influenced his choice a ittle. And contrary to popular belief, he dind't launch a call for independence, but rather the reinstatement of Ferdinand VII to the throne of Spain, which was then occupied by one of Napoleon's brothers.

15 out of 15 and i'm an atheist. I recently read that non believers know more about religion than those who practice it (in america).