I want to better understand religions and beliefs other than my own. What should I do?

Question

What's a good way to learn in a tolerant manner, what others believe, without having them try to convert you?

Answer 1

Take a religious studies class at a university or community college. They just look at lots of different religions, talk about what the common themes and practices are of each, etc.

Answer 2

The Library or some book stores have a lot of books about the religions and faiths.Some reading up on the religion helps if you attend some type of service in that faith. The more you study the other religions, the more you will see the similarities. The standards of religious code are present in all the major faiths. Most of all Be Still and Know I Am God, is a profound practice. Find your own inner Peace and you will share that with all people and all faiths.

Answer 3

Read Yahoo! Answers. (hee hee, obviously I'm just kidding.)
Start off with quick summaries on the web such as you'll find at http://www.religioustolerance.org/ or belief.net. Move on to the more detailed discussions of the individual faiths on wikipedia and follow the links there. This will give you a good enough basic grounding in how faiths differ, how they are similar, what the basic groupings of their ideas are, and how the sects differ within each religion.

If you are still interested, pick up some books on the individual faiths written by authors who aren't evangelical. For Christianity, for instance, you can't go wrong with Karen Armstrong.

Then you can try forums at web sites such as I've described above to ask specific questions. Everywhere on the internet you'll find dogmatic people, but some sites will be more likely to have people who can discuss things calmly and openly.

Finally you are ready- you know the religions more or less, it's time to actually go see them in action and go to their churches, temples, shrines, etc. At this point you might find, as I do, that you don't mind their attempts to convert you. You understand better their motivations. You aren't likely to be convinced by them, but you need to see people actually believing these things. You get a better feel for the faiths by doing more than just by reading about them.

Answer 4

Reading their writing is a way, but it's a long and tedious way. An objective class on comparative religions would be a good alternative, or philosophy of religions course as well.

Another alternative is to do a web search for both sites and books that compare and contrast the religions that you have an interest in.

Answer 5

Go to the bbc website and look up the flavor of religion you want to learn about.

They are concise, informative, and not preachy.



You decide by clicking the subtopics just how much you want to know. For example, just click the beliefs section, you don't have to read about their holy days or traditions if you don't want to.

Contrary to OTHERS opinions on here, don't take a comparitive class or read a comparitive book. The bias of the author or the instructor will sway your learning. Search and compare for yourself.

Answer 6

There's a good book that just came out a few months ago about that very subject. It's called Religious Literacy by Stephen Prothero, Chair of the Religion Department at Boston University.

I'd suggest reading that. I'm sure there are other books out there also but this is the one I know. And because it's newer, it deals with the current issues out there.

Answer 7

Get their religious sacred book in an English translation by an unbiased author .You will learn more. Just google or visit wikipedia and search for religious texts of " "the religion you want to study. According to me ,on the surface all the religions preach almost the same thing . It is the interpretation that varies.

Answer 8

The best thing that I can tell you to do would be to study the beliefs of each religion, then if your beliefs coincide with a particular one... then that will probably be the religion that is right for you! I am baptist, which in my opinion follows the Bible more closely than all the other religions I have heard of. I think that is the most important aspect to look for when choosing a religion that you would like to become involved in.

Answer 9

go to a college or a junior college and take Religious Studies. They'll probably start you off with World Religions that teaches about the main indian, eastern, and semetic religions. I'm taking it right now and its a great way to get objective views on everything.
Or, just do research on the internet; be careful not to believe everything you read, and take everything with a grain ofsalt.

Answer 10

You need to read the authentic resources available, for Islam read Quran that's one of the most authentic book available on the face of the earth, for Hinduism read nothing but Vedas, for Christianity read Bible. But except Quran all the manuscripts have been changed, only Quran is yet the same.
And this is also very important to know the concept of God in major religions. Hindus believe there are many gods and some say everything is god. Christianity say there are three gods, the concept of Trinity and that is a fabrication, even the word Trinity doesn't exist in the Bible. Muslims believe there's only one God. And finally Athiest believe there is no God.
If you need to discuss more about religion than contact me, i am always ready for that !!!

Answer 11

I went to the library, and took out a recommended book on each religion.. one at a time. It's easier to digest one concept at a time. I made up a spreadsheet ( yah, I know that's lame ) of headers including basic beliefs, afterlife, rituals, etc.
After 14 months I'd done all my research, then spent time actually going to 3 different kinds of worships for a while until I knew what worked for me. I spent 2 months on each of the religions I was interested in.
Ended up being solo wiccan... with leanings toward the earth goddess, who is all of us, but not an individual being at all to me. I believe all of our spirits make up what we call a deity and we can change our world ourselves if we only want to give up greed and power hunger.
My second choice, and the one I came closest to embracing otherwise, was Buddhism.
May your search bring you peace and enlightenment.