Even though couple of his own answers are rather quizzical especially to question 2 where he says "But other sections of the Koran do describe coercion" without giving any proof or verse number of the Quran, as well as questions 4 and 10.
He may be forgiven as he himself is also a product of the same culture that is confused about Islam, Quran, Hadith (saying of the Prophet), and Muhammad (Peace be upon him and his descendants).
He says before he starts the quiz:
The New York Times reported recently on a Pew Research Center poll in which religious people turned out to be remarkably uninformed about religion. Almost half of Catholics didn’t understand Communion. Most Protestants didn’t know that Martin Luther started the Reformation. Almost half of Jews didn’t realize Maimonides was Jewish. And atheists were among the best informed about religion.
His focus is essentially on "extremism and fundamentalism" in the context of the recent "uproar about Islam", as he has mentioned. This emphasis on Islam is also evident from the fact that multiple choices given for every question have one thing in common: all, except one, have Islam, Quran, Hadith or Muhammad in them as an answer.
At the end of the quiz he cautions, leaving the sting in the tail (last sentence):
And yes, the point of this little quiz is that religion is more complicated than it sometimes seems, and that we should be wary of rushing to inflammatory conclusions about any faith, especially based on cherry-picking texts. The most crucial element is perhaps not what is in our scriptures, but what is in our hearts.
Quiz
1. Which holy book stipulates that a girl who does not bleed on her wedding night should be stoned to death?
a. Koran
b. Old Testament
c. (Hindu) Upanishads
Answer:
1. b. Deuteronomy 22:21.
2. Which holy text declares: “Let there be no compulsion in religion”?
a. Koran
b. Gospel of Matthew
c. Letter of Paul to the Romans
Answer:
2. a. Koran, 2:256. But other sections of the Koran do describe coercion.
3. The terrorists who pioneered the suicide vest in modern times, and the use of women in terror attacks, were affiliated with which major religion?
a. Islam
b. Christianity
c. Hinduism
Answer:
3. c. Most early suicide bombings were by Tamil Hindus (some secular) in Sri Lanka and India.
4. "Every child is touched by the devil as soon as he is born and this contact makes him cry. Excepted are Mary and her Son.” This verse is from:
a. Letters of Paul to the Corinthians
b. The Book of Revelation
c. An Islamic hadith, or religious tale
Answer:
4. c. Koran. Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet to be revered.
5. Which holy text is sympathetic to slavery?
a. Old Testament
b. New Testament
c. Koran
Answer:
5. All of the above.
6. In the New Testament, Jesus’ views of homosexuality are:
a. strongly condemnatory
b. forgiving
c. never mentioned
Answer:
6. c. Other parts of the New and Old Testaments object to homosexuality, but there’s no indication of Jesus’ views.
7. Which holy text urges responding to evil with kindness, saying: “repel the evil deed with one which is better.”
a. Gospel of Luke
b. Book of Isaiah
c. Koran
Answer:
7. c. Koran, 41:34. Jesus says much the same thing in different words.
8. Which religious figure preaches tolerance by suggesting that God looks after all peoples and leads them all to their promised lands?
a. Muhammad
b. Amos
c. Jesus
Answer:
8. b. Amos 9:7
9. Which of these religious leaders was a polygamist?
a. Jacob
b. King David
c. Muhammad
Answer:
9. all of them
10. What characterizes Muhammad’s behavior toward the Jews of his time?
a. He killed them.
b. He married one.
c. He praised them as a chosen people.
Answer:
10. all of these. Muhammad’s Jewish wife was seized in battle, which undermines the spirit of the gesture. By some accounts he had a second Jewish wife as well.
11. Which holy scripture urges that the "little ones" of the enemy be dashed against the stones?
a. Book of Psalms
b. Koran
c. Leviticus
Answer:
11. a. Psalm 137
12. Which holy scripture suggests beating wives who misbehave?
a. Koran
b. Letters of Paul to the Corinthians
c. Book of Judges
Answer:
12. a. Koran 4:34
13. Which religious leader is quoted as commanding women to be silent during services?
a. The first Dalai Lama
b. St. Paul
c. Muhammad
Answer:
13. b. St. Paul, both in 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2, but many scholars believe that neither section was actually written by Paul.
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