This GCSE RE Christianity quiz tests you on Christians in society. Being a Christian is not just a matter of personal choice or conviction: God working in and through one's life should be visible to others, so that one becomes 'instrumental' in the working-out of His purposes for the world (so believers believe). Jesus Himself spoke on a number of occasions about believers being like ‘salt’ ~ bringing flavour to life around them ~ and like a shining light (that image again: here, most probably denoting energy, clarity, direction and companionship). A Christian without those quietly assured, leading qualities ~ in appropriate circumstances ~ would invite the disappointment of missed opportunities to have changed matters for the better.
There can be no simple universal rulebook for how all Christians should live-out their faith, since the circumstances, and their own talents and opportunities, are bound to be so varied.
[readmore]
Of course there are general principles such as generosity, truthfulness and indeed prayerfulness; but as Paul writes, ‘Not all are called to be teachers or prophets … ‘; there are, for instance, vital roles in ‘backstage logistics’ as well as for powerful upfront speakers or missionaries.
God may have plans for an individual that the person themself cannot comprehend: there are plenty of examples of that in the Bible (Moses complaining that he was ‘slow of speech’ when commissioned to face-down Egypt’s Pharaoh; the windy Gideon when we first discover him; Jonah, who booked a voyage in the opposite direction when God wanted him to go to Nineveh).
There is meanwhile the tale ~ purportedly true ~ of a young brown-eyed British girl whose best childhood friends were blue-eyed blondes; she prayed she could somehow become like them to fit in better. By early adulthood she had trained as a nurse and was posted somewhere in the Third World, where worried local mothers and other ‘natives’ came preferentially to her with their problems, rather than speak with her colleagues; and one of them one day confided that their prime reason for doing this was that she saw their world through brown eyes like their own, and that this made all the difference.
Now to our quiz on Christians in Society!
[/readmore]
|
1.
|
An 'average new Christian' might be interested to discover in how many walks of life other people share their beliefs, such as the 'caring professions' (education, medicine, social work etc). Depending perhaps on the newcomer's own background, if they learnt of the existence of an Armed Forces Christian Union (Officers' Christian Fellowship in the US, based in the unlikely-sounding White Sulfur Springs), would you expect them primarily to be ... ? |
|
| [ ] |
Surprised |
| [ ] |
Puzzled |
| [ ] |
Grateful |
| [ ] |
Jealous |
|
|
|
2.
|
Active Christians who pass retirement age might choose to put their time and energies into helping the interests of less fortunate people, perhaps as volunteers in various organisations. Three of the following are active examples currently known to your writer; which one seems UNLIKELY to fit the pattern? |
|
| [ ] |
Helping out at a local charity shop: manning the till, and sorting donated specialist goods in which the person has prior professional expertise |
| [ ] |
Being a court steward, uncritically looking after witnesses and others while they wait (perhaps anxiously) to be called |
| [ ] |
Going to the local dog-track and afterwards to the pub |
| [ ] |
Visiting local schools to hear children read, and to run lunchtime hobby clubs |
|
|
|
3.
|
Since what year have Street Pastors been active in communities across the world? |
|
| [ ] |
1998 |
| [ ] |
2003 |
| [ ] |
2007 |
| [ ] |
2010 |
|
|
|
4.
|
While conventional 'church attendance' may be continually declining, church buildings (and halls) are often made available for events in support of charities which aren't, necessarily, themselves overtly Christian: the international humanitarian organisation Oxfam, for instance, was first founded at a meeting in an 'upper room' in the tower of Oxford's University Church shortly after the Second World War.
The following organisations are also known, to your writer, to hold meetings on church premises ... with one fairly conspicuous exception: which ONE? |
|
| [ ] |
Alcoholics Anonymous |
| [ ] |
Amnesty International |
| [ ] |
SightSavers (a charity against avoidable blindness through preventable disease) |
| [ ] |
British Yoga Institute |
|
|
|
5.
|
Lent is the 'penitential' season of 40 days and nights running towards Holy Week and Easter; a time when many Christians traditionally 'deny themselves something' or 'give something up'. But you may be surprised that some of the best-established British chocolatier firms were founded by Quakers, who wanted to set up in industry, while making a product that wasn't sinful or indulgent or otherwise morally suspect ~ such as tobacco or alcohol would be. Chocolate, as put-aside now by some Christians for Lent, was perfectly acceptable to these founders. Which of these was NOT a practising Quaker that founded a chocolate company? |
|
| [ ] |
Joseph Fry |
| [ ] |
John Cadbury |
| [ ] |
Charles Terry |
| [ ] |
Joseph Rowntree |
|
|
|
6.
|
You may be aware of the (sometimes controversial) existence of Church Schools and Voluntary-Aided Schools, chiefly in the English primary sector, and how some non-'religious' families do all they can ~ such as moving house ~ in the hope of securing places in such schools for their children, because they recognise and hanker for that 'extra something' in the education there (even though they don't, themselves, commit to the underlying beliefs).
What should probably be the single most important attitude of Christians within such schools, to this appproach? |
|
| [ ] |
Quiet acceptance |
| [ ] |
Resentment at the in-comers' 'hypocrisy' &/or 'opportunism' |
| [ ] |
To see the people as a missionary opportunity, to spread the Gospel on local doorsteps and at the school gate |
| [ ] |
To pray that God is at work in and through all the children and families, in potential ways that may not become clear until many years later |
|
|
|
7.
|
Some Christians stand very firmly on their principles (e.g. Catholics against contraception and abortion; Jehovah's Witnesses against blood transfusions) while others adopt a broader, perhaps more sympathetic approach on such categorical issues of medical ethics and personal integrity. In 2016 there was a courtcase concerning a bakery in Ireland whose staff, on Christian principle, refused to do ... what? |
|
| [ ] |
Ice a cake in celebration of a same-sex marriage |
| [ ] |
Bake a cake with / without certain ingredients to oblige a potential Muslim customer |
| [ ] |
Work on a Sunday (the Christian sabbath), even to bake extra bread for hungry refugees, &/or victims of floods &/or terrorism |
| [ ] |
Produce 'false' sausage rolls, or similar products, to avoid Jewish or Muslim guests accidentally eating pig-meat at a wedding reception |
|
|
|
8.
|
It is all very well Christians meeting in churches and housegroups, and doing their good deeds quietly; but there is a tradition of public open-air performances ~ often towards Easter, at the 'right time' of the liturgical year ~ in which the events of Holy Week are re-enacted, as a witness and reminder to other people who might never otherwise enter a church (except, perhaps, for occasional weddings &/or funerals).
What is the usual title for such a performance? |
|
| [ ] |
Holy Mystery |
| [ ] |
Mystery Play |
| [ ] |
Passion Play |
| [ ] |
Procession of Palms |
|
|
|
9.
|
While the reigning British Monarch is, by definition, also the Head of the Church of England (since the days of Henry VIII some 500 years ago), the interplay between public/political and religious life in this country is subtle and complex. Many MPs of any party may be doing that job ~ at least partly ~ on the basis of a deep Christian conviction towards public service and bettering the lives of others. But there are also a number of guaranteed seats in the House of Lords for Bishops in the Church of England: how many? |
|
| [ ] |
12 |
| [ ] |
18 |
| [ ] |
21 |
| [ ] |
26 |
|
|
|
10.
|
Whatever your experience as a road user (pedestrian, cyclist, passenger, driver [?]), you may privately think of our public highways as being more an arena for selfish competition ('survival of the fastest'?) rather than Christian witness, either through driving behaviour or any other form of display. Yet the car ahead of you may be driven by a practising Christian, and you might be able to tell so ~ not from their considerate mode of driving, necessarily, but by the presence of a 'fish' symbol on the back of their vehicle: this denotes Christian links, to anyone else in the know.
Which of the following is the LEAST convincing or relevant reason for the fish symbol? |
|
| [ ] |
ICHTHUS, the Greek word for 'fish', was used among the earliest Christian believers as a semi-secret symbol ~ because the initial 'IC' is an acrostic for 'Jesus Christ', and there are other titles for Him that neatly complete it |
| [ ] |
Jesus Himself recruited followers who had been fishermen, and told them that in future they would be 'fishing for people' |
| [ ] |
Jonah set out to flee from God, but (so the story goes) a Great Fish eventually delivered him safely to where God wanted him to be |
| [ ] |
Jesus told a parable about fishermen catching all types, and then separating the worthwhile fish from the useless: perhaps the road is a free-for-all, but the meeker users will deserve a steadier ride? |
|
|
|
1.
|
An 'average new Christian' might be interested to discover in how many walks of life other people share their beliefs, such as the 'caring professions' (education, medicine, social work etc). Depending perhaps on the newcomer's own background, if they learnt of the existence of an Armed Forces Christian Union (Officers' Christian Fellowship in the US, based in the unlikely-sounding White Sulfur Springs), would you expect them primarily to be ... ? |
|
| [ ] |
Surprised |
| [ ] |
Puzzled |
| [x] |
Grateful |
| [ ] |
Jealous |
|
|
|
2.
|
Active Christians who pass retirement age might choose to put their time and energies into helping the interests of less fortunate people, perhaps as volunteers in various organisations. Three of the following are active examples currently known to your writer; which one seems UNLIKELY to fit the pattern? |
|
| [ ] |
Helping out at a local charity shop: manning the till, and sorting donated specialist goods in which the person has prior professional expertise |
| [ ] |
Being a court steward, uncritically looking after witnesses and others while they wait (perhaps anxiously) to be called |
| [x] |
Going to the local dog-track and afterwards to the pub |
| [ ] |
Visiting local schools to hear children read, and to run lunchtime hobby clubs |
|
|
|
3.
|
Since what year have Street Pastors been active in communities across the world? |
|
| [ ] |
1998 |
| [x] |
2003 |
| [ ] |
2007 |
| [ ] |
2010 |
|
|
|
4.
|
While conventional 'church attendance' may be continually declining, church buildings (and halls) are often made available for events in support of charities which aren't, necessarily, themselves overtly Christian: the international humanitarian organisation Oxfam, for instance, was first founded at a meeting in an 'upper room' in the tower of Oxford's University Church shortly after the Second World War.
The following organisations are also known, to your writer, to hold meetings on church premises ... with one fairly conspicuous exception: which ONE? |
|
| [ ] |
Alcoholics Anonymous |
| [ ] |
Amnesty International |
| [ ] |
SightSavers (a charity against avoidable blindness through preventable disease) |
| [x] |
British Yoga Institute |
|
|
|
5.
|
Lent is the 'penitential' season of 40 days and nights running towards Holy Week and Easter; a time when many Christians traditionally 'deny themselves something' or 'give something up'. But you may be surprised that some of the best-established British chocolatier firms were founded by Quakers, who wanted to set up in industry, while making a product that wasn't sinful or indulgent or otherwise morally suspect ~ such as tobacco or alcohol would be. Chocolate, as put-aside now by some Christians for Lent, was perfectly acceptable to these founders. Which of these was NOT a practising Quaker that founded a chocolate company? |
|
| [ ] |
Joseph Fry |
| [ ] |
John Cadbury |
| [x] |
Charles Terry |
| [ ] |
Joseph Rowntree |
|
|
|
6.
|
You may be aware of the (sometimes controversial) existence of Church Schools and Voluntary-Aided Schools, chiefly in the English primary sector, and how some non-'religious' families do all they can ~ such as moving house ~ in the hope of securing places in such schools for their children, because they recognise and hanker for that 'extra something' in the education there (even though they don't, themselves, commit to the underlying beliefs).
What should probably be the single most important attitude of Christians within such schools, to this appproach? |
|
| [ ] |
Quiet acceptance |
| [ ] |
Resentment at the in-comers' 'hypocrisy' &/or 'opportunism' |
| [ ] |
To see the people as a missionary opportunity, to spread the Gospel on local doorsteps and at the school gate |
| [x] |
To pray that God is at work in and through all the children and families, in potential ways that may not become clear until many years later |
|
|
|
7.
|
Some Christians stand very firmly on their principles (e.g. Catholics against contraception and abortion; Jehovah's Witnesses against blood transfusions) while others adopt a broader, perhaps more sympathetic approach on such categorical issues of medical ethics and personal integrity. In 2016 there was a courtcase concerning a bakery in Ireland whose staff, on Christian principle, refused to do ... what? |
|
| [x] |
Ice a cake in celebration of a same-sex marriage |
| [ ] |
Bake a cake with / without certain ingredients to oblige a potential Muslim customer |
| [ ] |
Work on a Sunday (the Christian sabbath), even to bake extra bread for hungry refugees, &/or victims of floods &/or terrorism |
| [ ] |
Produce 'false' sausage rolls, or similar products, to avoid Jewish or Muslim guests accidentally eating pig-meat at a wedding reception |
|
|
|
8.
|
It is all very well Christians meeting in churches and housegroups, and doing their good deeds quietly; but there is a tradition of public open-air performances ~ often towards Easter, at the 'right time' of the liturgical year ~ in which the events of Holy Week are re-enacted, as a witness and reminder to other people who might never otherwise enter a church (except, perhaps, for occasional weddings &/or funerals).
What is the usual title for such a performance? |
|
| [ ] |
Holy Mystery |
| [ ] |
Mystery Play |
| [x] |
Passion Play |
| [ ] |
Procession of Palms |
|
|
|
9.
|
While the reigning British Monarch is, by definition, also the Head of the Church of England (since the days of Henry VIII some 500 years ago), the interplay between public/political and religious life in this country is subtle and complex. Many MPs of any party may be doing that job ~ at least partly ~ on the basis of a deep Christian conviction towards public service and bettering the lives of others. But there are also a number of guaranteed seats in the House of Lords for Bishops in the Church of England: how many? |
|
| [ ] |
12 |
| [ ] |
18 |
| [ ] |
21 |
| [x] |
26 |
|
|
|
10.
|
Whatever your experience as a road user (pedestrian, cyclist, passenger, driver [?]), you may privately think of our public highways as being more an arena for selfish competition ('survival of the fastest'?) rather than Christian witness, either through driving behaviour or any other form of display. Yet the car ahead of you may be driven by a practising Christian, and you might be able to tell so ~ not from their considerate mode of driving, necessarily, but by the presence of a 'fish' symbol on the back of their vehicle: this denotes Christian links, to anyone else in the know.
Which of the following is the LEAST convincing or relevant reason for the fish symbol? |
|
| [ ] |
ICHTHUS, the Greek word for 'fish', was used among the earliest Christian believers as a semi-secret symbol ~ because the initial 'IC' is an acrostic for 'Jesus Christ', and there are other titles for Him that neatly complete it |
| [ ] |
Jesus Himself recruited followers who had been fishermen, and told them that in future they would be 'fishing for people' |
| [x] |
Jonah set out to flee from God, but (so the story goes) a Great Fish eventually delivered him safely to where God wanted him to be |
| [ ] |
Jesus told a parable about fishermen catching all types, and then separating the worthwhile fish from the useless: perhaps the road is a free-for-all, but the meeker users will deserve a steadier ride? |
|
|
