Chapter 1
Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
Section I, Part A – Multiple Choice Questions for Religion in Australia post-1945
Some tips for answering multiple choice questions
 Read the question slowly and carefully then consider the correct answer prior to
looking at the options available. Pick the response that most accurately matches your
initial response.
 Eliminate any options that are clearly incorrect.
 If there are two options that appear to be correct and very similar read the question
again and choose the option that appears most correct or the most logical response.
 Leave any difficult or confusing questions till the end but make sure that you go back
to these. It may be a good idea to highlight these so that you don’t forget.
 Never leave a blank space in a multiple choice in this subject as you cannot lose
marks for answering incorrectly.
 If there is a word or term that you cannot understand the meaning of, look for clues in
the surrounding text.
 If you really don’t know, make an educated guess.
2007 HSC Examination
1. How is Aboriginal spirituality determined by the Dreaming?
(A) It explains the concept of ‘terra nullius’.
(B) It forms the basis for the covenant with God.
(C) It explains why the ancestral spirits are no longer alive.
(D) It explains how the world was formed and how it is sustained.
2. Which of the following was the first legal recognition of the spiritual connection of the
Aboriginal people to ‘the land’?
(A) Mabo v Queensland 1992
(B) The Native Title Act 1993
(C) Wik Peoples v Queensland 1996
(D) The Native Title Amendment Act 1998
3. What has been the traditional role of Aboriginal elders?
(A) To develop the independence of the Aboriginal community
(B) To organise the purchase of Crown Land by Aboriginal communities
(C) To protect the integrity of Aboriginal sacred texts which embody the Dreaming
(D) To preserve and transmit the most sacred meaning of Aboriginal ritual and
Ceremonies
4. How is the kinship group of an Aboriginal person determined?
(A) By personal choice
(B) By being born into the group
(C) By completing initiation rites
(D) By the location of their birthplace
5. What was the main reason for removing many Aboriginal children from their families after
1945?
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HSC Checkpoints Studies of Religion
(A) To lessen the burden on large Aboriginal families
(B) To force them to adopt European culture and behaviour
(C) To provide them with opportunities to improve their literacy
(D) To allow them to share Aboriginal spirituality with Europeans
6. What is an impact of Aboriginal Reconciliation on Christianity?
(A) Loss of traditional Aboriginal culture
(B) Reduced awareness of Aboriginal ritual and ceremony
(C) Increased acceptance of Aboriginal ritual and ceremony
(D) Loss of traditional practices in other religious traditions
7. Which of the following is an example of denominational switching?
(A) Changing from Catholicism to Zen Buddhism
(B) Changing from Uniting Church to Humanism
(C) Changing from Orthodox Judaism to Reform Judaism
(D) Changing from Christianity to new religious expressions
8. What is the main cause of the increasing religious diversity in Australia since 1945?
(A) The declining impact of secularism
(B) The changing patterns of immigration
(C) The adoption of a policy of assimilation
(D) The strengthening of the ecumenical movement
Use the following statement to answer Questions 9 and 10.
At a meeting in December 2006, leaders from all religious traditions agreed that their faiths
required Australians to take care of God’s creation and immediately tackle climate change.
9. Which of the following does this statement reflect?
(A) Ecumenism
(B) Sectarianism
(C) Interfaith dialogue
(D) New Age religions
10. What is a likely outcome of this statement?
(A) Combined religious pressure on politicians
(B) Conflict between leaders of religious traditions
(C) Decreased peace and tolerance in the wider community
(D) Encouragement for religious leaders to become politicians
2008 HSC Examination
1. What is a totem in Aboriginal spirituality?
(A) A symbol of unity among all Aboriginal people
(B) A burning stick that is carried between Aboriginal camps
(C) A wooden pipe used to create musical sounds at ceremonies
(D) A fish, plant or animal that represents a spirit ancestor in a region
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
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2. What was a consequence of the Mabo decision?
(A) Aboriginal people gained the right to vote.
(B) The policy of assimilation was abandoned.
(C) The concept of terra nullius was overturned.
(D) Aboriginal people gained equal citizenship status.
3. What relationship between Aboriginal people and the land is central to Aboriginal
Spirituality?
(A) They should conserve the land.
(B) They have obligations to the land.
(C) The land provides them with an income.
(D) The land provides them with food and shelter.
4. What is the main purpose of initiation for young Aboriginal people?
(A) To ensure continuation of the law
(B) To celebrate kinship relationships
(C) To train the leaders of the Land Rights movement
(D) To enable them to resist the effects of dispossession
5. In Australia, which of the following has gained the greatest number of followers as a result
of denominational switching?
(A) Catholicism
(B) Anglicanism
(C) Pentecostal churches
(D) Uniting Church of Australia
6. Which statement describes a change that has occurred in Australia’s religious landscape
since 1945?
(A) An increasing proportion of Jews and a decreasing proportion of Buddhists
(B) An increasing proportion of Buddhists and an increasing proportion of Hindus
(C) A decreasing proportion of Christians and a decreasing proportion of Muslims
(D) A decreasing proportion of Buddhists and an increasing proportion of Christians
7. In the 1990s the Catholic Church overtook the Anglican Church as the largest religious
group in Australia. What is the best explanation of this trend?
(A) Changing immigration patterns
(B) The implementation of World Youth Days
(C) The increased role of Catholics in political activities
(D) The inclusion of women in leadership roles in the Anglican Church
8. What would followers of New Age spirituality reject?
(A) Spirituality focused on deity
(B) Modern materialistic values
(C) Neo-pagan belief systems
(D) Self-awareness
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HSC Checkpoints Studies of Religion
9. In a religious context, what is the meaning of the term adherent?
(A) A person who becomes a religious leader
(B) A person who follows a secular perspective
(C) A person who follows a religious perspective
(D) A person who takes part in religious dialogue
10. What has been an effect of interfaith dialogue in Australia?
(A) The formation of the Uniting Church in 1977
(B) Joint social welfare work of the Christian churches in Australia
(C) The Reconciliation walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2000
(D) Joint statements on homelessness by representatives of religious traditions
2009 HSC Examination
1. What is the role of ritual and ceremony for Aboriginal spiritualities?
(A) To renew and conserve life
(B) To gain support for the Land Rights movement
(C) To implement traditional Aboriginal legal decisions
(D) To promote cultural understanding among non-Indigenous people
2. Which of the following best expresses the Aboriginal Dreaming?
(A) Smoking ceremony and totems
(B) Kinship groupings and voting rights
(C) Myths, legends and enactment ceremonies
(D) Australia Day, the Wik Legislation and the Aboriginal flag
3. What aspect of religious dialogue is reflected in the illustration?
(A) Totemic identity
(B) Kinship groupings
(C) Reconciliation process
(D) Rainbow Spirit Theology
4. Which statement best expresses the basis of Aboriginal Land Rights claims?
(A) A formal legal relationship based on title deeds
(B) A spiritual relationship of the people to country
(C) An economic relationship of the people exploiting natural resources
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
(D) A political relationship where the people have sovereign power over territory
5. What did the Wik decision mean for the Land Rights movement?
(A) Aboriginal people gained sole ownership over land of continuous habitation.
(B) Aboriginal people gained unlimited access to their ritual estates.
(C) Pastoral leases and native title rights could co-exist.
(D) Mining companies gained free access to resources.
6. From 1945 to 2006, the pattern of adherence in Australian Christianity changed.
By 2006, there was
(A) a smaller proportion of Anglicans and a smaller proportion of Catholics
(B) a greater proportion of Anglicans and a smaller proportion of Catholics
(C) a greater proportion of Catholics and a smaller proportion of Pentecostals
(D) a greater proportion of Uniting Church members and a smaller proportion of
Presbyterians
7. What is secularism?
(A) A search for interfaith cooperation in society
(B) A concept that diminishes the influence of religion in society
(C) A school of thought emphasising allegiance to one’s religious group
(D) Communities and individuals who live in isolation and share a common belief
8. Which of the following is a typical feature of New Age religions?
(A) Eucharist
(B) Meditation
(C) Communal worship
(D) Ordained female clergy
9. Which of the following best reflects the reason for ecumenism in Australia’s current
religious landscape?
(A) A shared concern for social justice issues
(B) Increased awareness of the potential for interfaith dialogue
(C) A decline in the number of Christian adherents in the population
(D) The beginning of resource sharing including church buildings in rural Australia
10. What best explains increasing interfaith dialogue in Australia since 1945?
(A) Growing secularism
(B) Increased sectarianism
(C) The work of the council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
(D) Catholic membership of the National Council of Churches (NCCA)
2010 HSC Examination
1. What did the Mabo decision recognise?
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(A) Australia was declared terra nullius.
(B) Native title overrules pastoral leases.
(C) Indigenous peoples have native title to land.
(D) Aboriginal peoples have the right to negotiate.
2. How has Christianity changed in Australia since 1945?
(A) Denomination switching has caused Pentecostalism to grow.
(B) Ecumenism has caused Christianity to become a more dominant tradition.
(C) Funding arrangements for religious schools have caused Catholicism to grow.
(D) Immigration has caused sectarianism and secularism to grow in Christian
denominations.
3. Which of the following is an example of secularisation?
(A) Peace march on Palm Sunday
(B) Shops trading seven days a week
(C) Rise in the number of cults in Australia
(D) Multifaith service for the victims of the Victorian bushfires
4. What is the main function of the National Council of Churches?
(A) To promote ecumenism
(B) To prevent secularisation
(C) To promote reconciliation
(D) To prevent denominational switching
Use your own knowledge and the following table to answer Question 5.
5. Immigration was responsible for the greatest percentage growth in which group?
(A) Catholic
(B) Non-Christian
(C) Methodist/Uniting
(D) Presbyterian/Reformed
6. What is the primary function of Aboriginal ceremonial life?
(A) To celebrate the Dreaming
(B) To worship ancestral beings
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
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(C) To commemorate past activities
(D) To merge past, present and future
7 Which of the following best explains the rise of New Age religions?
(A) Post-war immigration
(B) Abolition of the White Australia Policy
(C) Wider visions of enlightenment and fulfilment in society
(D) Changes in the governing structures of traditional, mainstream religions
Use the table to answer Questions 8 and 9.
8 What is the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne an example of?
(A) Secularism
(B) Ecumenism
(C) New Age religions
(D) Interfaith dialogue
9 Which of the following statements best reflects religion in Australia?
(A) Australia is an ecumenical community.
(B) Australia is a multifaith society that believes in God.
(C) Australia endorses ecumenical relationships with Asia.
(D) Australia is a multifaith society that fosters religious diversity.
10. Which three religions have experienced growth in Australia as a result of immigration
since 1990?
(A) Hinduism, Islam, Judaism
(B) Buddhism, Islam, Judaism
(C) Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam
(D) Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism
Additional Content for 2 Unit Course
Section I, Part B – Religion and Non-Religion
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2007 Paper
12. Which statement best expresses animism?
(A) There is no god.
(B) There are many gods.
(C) All natural objects have a spirit.
(D) There is a single divine personal being.
13. Which statement best defines agnosticism?
(A) There is no divine or transcendent reality.
(B) There is some divine or transcendent reality.
(C) It is highly likely there is no divine or transcendent reality.
(D) It is uncertain whether there is a divine or transcendent reality.
14. For individuals with a non-religious worldview, which of the following best describes the
concept of social responsibility?
(A) Reading sacred texts and living a good life
(B) Attending ceremonies and actively caring for the environment
(C) Living a moral life and caring for their family
(D) Working for the common good by following established ethical guidelines
15. Which factor distinguishes a religious funeral from a non-religious funeral?
(A) The use of candles in the ceremony
(B) The celebration of the life of the deceased
(C) The reference to a transcendent dimension
(D) The inclusion of popular music in the ceremony
16. Throughout history, European Jews have often been marginalised and persecuted.
In such circumstances what has the religious dimension provided for the Jewish
community?
(A) Social cohesion within the Jewish community
(B) Social alienation within the Jewish community
(C) Social responsibility within the European community
(D) Social transformation towards a multicultural European community
Use the following table to answer Questions 17 and 18.
The ten largest national populations of the five major traditions in 2005
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Buddhism
China
Japan
Thailand
Vietnam
Myanmar
Sri Lanka
Cambodia
India
Christianity
USA
Brazil
Mexico
Philippines
China
Russia
India
Nigeria
Hinduism
India
Nepal
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Malaysia
USA
Islam
Pakistan
India
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Turkey
Iran
Egypt
Nigeria
Judaism
USA
Israel
France
Argentina
Palestine
Canada
Brazil
Britain
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
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South Korea
Taiwan
Germany
Zaire/Congo
South Africa
Myanmar
Algeria
Morocco
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Russia
Germany
17. According to the table, which group of countries best reflects the global distribution of
Islam?
(A) Thailand, Indonesia, India
(B) Indonesia, Turkey, Nigeria
(C) Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel
(D) Saudi Arabia, USA, Philippines
18. From the table, which of the following nations has a large number of adherents in four of
the five religious traditions?
(A) India
(B) USA
(C) Brazil
(D) Indonesia
19. Which of the following best outlines the position of a Rational Humanist?
(A) Human enquiry and practice should be guided by belief in a deity.
(B) Human enquiry and practice should not be guided by belief in a deity.
(C) Human enquiry and practice should be guided by rigorous experimental testing.
(D) Human enquiry and practice should not be guided by superstitions and
unthinking
tradition.
20.
The prudent man will lead a moral life
When he considers it has four rewards:
A sense of virtue gives peace,
His body is not over-taxed,
At night he sleeps a happy sleep,
And when he wakes, he wakes with joy,
A holy man, endowed with vision,
He thrives and prospers in this world
Quotation from the Dharmapada
From the quotation and your own knowledge, which statement best reflects the
significance of the religious dimension in human history?
(A) Religion has been a force against social transformation.
(B) Religion has been a force for decline in economic activity.
(C) Religion has been a source of social cohesion around materialistic values.
(D) Religion has been an avenue for individual and communal meaning and purpose.
21.
Recent surveys indicate that many American adults hold at least some New
Age beliefs such as:
• the belief that God is ‘a state of higher consciousness that a person may
reach’
• the belief that God is ‘the total realisation of personal, human potential’
• the belief that each person is God.
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HSC Checkpoints Studies of Religion
Which factor is reflected in the above information?
(A) The promotion of materialism
(B) Rejection of Eastern religions
(C) The search for personal fulfilment
(D) Disenchantment with scientific progress
2008 Paper
12. Which is an example of polytheism?
(A) Islam
(B) Judaism
(C) Greek Orthodoxy
(D) Ancient Greek religion
13 What does an agnostic believe?
(A) There is no transcendent or divine reality.
(B) There is some transcendent or divine reality.
(C) There is a range of transcendent or divine realities.
(D) There is uncertainty about a transcendent or divine reality.
14. What was the purpose of sacrifice in animistic traditions?
(A) To control the physical environment
(B) To diminish fertility
(C) To worship God
(D) To forgive sins
15. Which of the following religions has the smallest number of adherents world-wide?
(A) Islam
(B) Judaism
(C) Hinduism
(D) Buddhism
16. What is a characteristic of atheism?
(A) A belief in reincarnation
(B) A belief that there is no afterlife
(C) Uncertainty regarding scientific progress
(D) Uncertainty regarding the existence of an immanent divinity
Use the map to answer Question 17.
Main Birthplaces of Australian Muslims – 2001 census
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
17. With reference to the map, consider the following statements:
Statement 1: More Australian Muslims were born in Australia than in any
other country.
Statement 2: The smallest group of Australian Muslims who were born
outside Australia comes from a country where Islam is the dominant religion.
Which of the following is correct?
(A) Both statements are true.
(B) Both statements are false.
(C) Statement 1 is true and 2 is false.
(D) Statement 2 is true and 1 is false.
18. Which of the following is the main religion in India?
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(A) Buddhism
(B) Christianity
(C) Hinduism
(D) Judaism
19. The religious dimension has been a significant influence for social transformation.
Which of the following is an example of this influence?
(A) The United Nations
(B) The Salvation Army
(C) Amnesty International
(D) The ‘Live Aid’ concerts
20. Which belief is characteristic of rational humanism?
(A) Humans are the highest form of intelligence.
(B) Science is the key to human development.
(C) Human nature is fundamentally flawed.
(D) People should develop their intuition.
21. What best explains the growth of ecological awareness within new religious expressions
and spiritualities?
(A) Fear of the economic impact of climate change
(B) Disagreement with traditional religious practice
(C) The idea that God is the transcendent creator of the Earth
(D) The belief that the human community and the Earth form a unity
2009 Paper
12. Which of the following is a form of monotheism?
(A) Judaism
(B) Animism
(C) Hinduism
(D) Agnosticism
13. Which statement about non-religious world views is correct?
(A) Atheists reject the existence of God.
(B) Agnostics reject the existence of God.
(C) Atheists accept that God created the universe.
(D) Agnostics accept that God created the universe.
14. Which of the following countries has the largest Christian population?
(A) Australia
(B) Malaysia
(C) Indonesia
(D) Philippines
15. Which of the following lists the current global distribution of the five major world
religious traditions in size from largest to smallest?
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
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(A) Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism
(B) Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism
(C) Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism
(D) Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism
16. Which of the following best illustrates how the religious dimension can encourage social
cohesion in the wider, multi-faith community?
(A) Passage of life rituals
(B) Worship opportunities
(C) Social welfare outreach initiatives
(D) Moral clarity in religious teaching
17. A typical principle of humanism is that
(A) moral values are founded on revelation in sacred texts.
(B) scientific method shows the truth of traditional religion.
(C) many reincarnations give us ample opportunity to make life better.
(D) the solution of people’s problems is to be found in reason and humanity.
18. Which development in mainstream society has encouraged the emergence of new
religious expressions and spiritualities?
(A) Obsessive desire for material possessions
(B) Growing trust in political institutions and solutions
(C) Rising status of the moral guidance of traditional religions
(D) Acknowledgement of the importance of diet in a healthy lifestyle
19. What practice is characteristic of animism?
(A) Celebrating mass
(B) Worshipping only one god
(C) Appealing to the saints for protection and healing
(D) Performing rituals related to hunting an animal for food
20. Of the following, who would be most likely to modify their behaviour out of fear of
transcendental judgement?
(A) An atheist
(B) An agnostic
(C) A rational humanist
(D) A scientific humanist
21. What do religious and non-religious worldviews have in common?
(A) The shared pursuit of material prosperity
(B) The common human quest for meaning in life and death
(C) The ethical achievement of transcendent meaningful communities
(D) The experimental investigation of comprehensive scientific knowledge
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2010 Paper
12. Which of the following lists examples of polytheism?
(A) Magi, Scientology, Syncretism
(B) Kali, Vishnu, Lakshmi
(C) Baal, Torah, Pontifex Maximus
(D) St Catherine, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit
Use the information provided to answer Questions 13 and 14.
The grandmother of Pat, Mel, Lee and Sam has just died. They have this conversation
after the funeral.
Pat:
I think that when you die there’s nothing. We can’t see Grandma ever again.
Mel:
No. Grandma will go to Heaven and we’ll all be together again when we die.
Lee:
You two are trying too hard. No one has any idea what happens when we die.
Sam: No Lee. You’re wrong there. Science will eventually work it out and that
knowledge will make our lives better.
13. In the stimulus, who expresses an agnostic point of view?
(A) Lee
(B) Mel
(C) Pat
(D) Sam
14. In the stimulus, who expresses the humanist point of view
(A) Lee
(B) Mel
(C) Pat
(D) Sam
15. Which of the following best states an atheist’s viewpoint?
(A) There is no god, only the realisation of nirvana.
(B) There is no true religion, but we should please a divine being.
(C) There is no evidence for supernatural occurrences or an ‘eternal soul’.
(D) The concept of reason reflects the promise of supernatural assistance and life after
death.
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
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Use the information to answer Questions 16 and 17.
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16. Followers of which spirituality are most likely to respond to this advertisement?
(A) New-agers
(B) Zen Buddhists
(C) Mystic Hindus
(D) Born-again evangelicals
17. What is the most likely reason for an individual to respond to this advertisement?
(A) To seek scientific knowledge
(B) To seek technological fulfilment
(C) To seek personal fulfilment
(D) To seek sociological knowledge
18 In which two countries is Buddhism the dominant religion?
(A) Nepal, Thailand
(B) Sri Lanka, Nepal
(C) Burma/Myanmar, Dubai
(D) Thailand, Burma/Myanmar
19 After Hinduism, which is the largest religion in India?
(A) Islam
(B) Judaism
(C) Buddhism
(D) Christianity
20 Which of the following typically claims that reason and logic are the best guide to moral
behaviour?
(A) Materialism
(B) Monotheism
(C) Rational humanism
(D) Scientific humanism
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HSC Checkpoints Studies of Religion
21 Which belief system recognises life in all natural things?
(A) Theism
(B) Animism
(C) Totemism
(D) Shamanism
Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
Sample Solutions Multiple Choice Questions
Section I, Part A, Multiple Choice Questions for Religion in Australia post-1945 –
Solutions
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Section I, Part B, Religion and Non-Religion 2007 HSC Examination
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Chapter 1: Multiple Choice Questions and Solutions
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