I have read most of the "standards": the Quran, the Baghavad Gita, a collection of the Upanishads, the sayings of Confucious, The Way by Lao-Tzu, a volume of Theravadan Buddhist texts.

I think it's important to appreciate other faiths on their own terms.

I'm pretty excited to be involved in the publishing this summer of Three Testaments, which will be the first time that the Torah, the New Testament, and the Quran will ever be published together between two covers. There is connective commentary by the principal author, United Church minster Dr. Brian Arthur Brown. I had the privilege of writing the the introduction to the New Testament.

One of the things I really love about this volume is that it isn't just an academic exercise. Every one of the three Abrahamic religions is represented by practicing believers.

I have read parts of various texts besides the Bible. I read some articles and studies about theTorah "(Jewish interpretations), I have read the Gnostic Gospels, I've read bits of the Q'uran, poetry by Rumi-- the Sufi poet, some writing by Ghandi, Buddhist writings (including some sagely writing by the Dalai Lama). I've also read a bit about Kabbalah.

 I found the Gnostic Gospels, Buddhism, and Kabbala...the little bit  I have read to be quite deeply mystical, but I haven't spent a lot of time studying them...an article here, a documentary there....I've got enough on my plate with the Bible itself,  and prefer to focus on understanding  it, but I do respect and find it interesting that all  the world religions have a very similar Golden Rule.. also, the Gnostic  Gospels, Buddhism, and Kabbala seem to have things in common as well, in the mystic sense, and I wonder if there's something to that theory. I think that's what interests me, are the common threads...but I don't have time to study all of the texts in detail.

I find the Dalai Lama to be a very wise and his ideas about how to be in the here and now not in opposition to my Christian faith.

Oh, I found The Book of Mormon on the sidewalk one day and took it home and had a look through it years ago. I don't remember much about it so I guess it wasn't too remarkable for me. I've been handed copies of the Watch Tower and read them on the bus...that's the extent of my knowledge about Jehovah's Witnesses.

I haven't read much about Hinduism (except about Gandhi himself), Pagan, or Bahai religions...a little bit. I often visit the religion section at Huffington Post. It gives a good overview of different religions and beliefs and the real people who follow them.

Good grief. As Letterman would say 'I think I have a twin!'

I have read ever single text you mention to the same  degreee  and come to conclude much the same..

Truly amazing -- (I WONDERED why it was so difficult to counter yer post' s argumentation

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Mark Twain: "Education is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty,"

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Maybe so, but worse without it.

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This is where I go to the "Wall" (Who IS this guy?)

Here I go,,,,

I should say that, no, I don't wish I'd never read them because I specifically look for commanalities. I think that's what we should focus on rather than differences anyway...because real everyday people follow all of these religions and I believe we should respect that. It's much easier to respect others when we look for things in common!

Hi redbaron338,

I have read portions of Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Zoroastrian, Mormon and Buddhist scriptures apart from Jewish and Christian scriptures.

Depends on the attitude one takes when reading I think.  If you go looking for similarities you find interesting things.  If you go looking for differences you also find interesting things but you are inclined to dismiss them.

The various creation stories, while not identical have very interesting points of contact.

It showed me that certain genres contained in the Judeo-Christian scriptures are also found in the scriptures of other traditions.  Proverbs appear pretty much everywhere.  It is interesting to see some of the same proverbial wisdom communicated in different proverbs.

The time spent was not a waste of time.

As to the affect, I would hope it gives me even a slight ability to  understand what other faiths hold important and what makes them unique and different.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Pretty much the same list as David Bruce, mostly in university. Initially, I did take the new ideas I was getting from these texts/traditions and apply them in the context of my fairly liberal Christian faith. However, in the long term, the influence of studying other traditions and philosophies (esp. Hellenistic schools like Epicureanism and Stoicism) drew me away from a purely Christian outlook which in turn led me to become UU. I definitely don't regret it, as it is very much a part of who I am today.

Mendalla

Like most of you, I've sampled widely in the traditional religions. And, like most of you, I've been struck witt the similarities to Christianity.

I really think, though, we're into a new kind of religion. The greatest, though not the only gospeller is Ayn Rand. I quite seriously think the far right is evolving as a religion of a primitive sort - largely based on faith, and profoundly suspicious of heretics. And, it has managed to draw away a good many Christians who don't seem to realize how far they have strayed.
 

I think you really might be onto something there. How many have stopped to think about how much the "me first, me better, me want more" philosophy, Social Darwinism, originally geared towards neo-conservative politics and ecomonics has influenced certain areas of religion and faith?

That sounds like an outstanding project David. Can you send me, or post, information about how to obtain a copy when it's available?

It's too bad you'll burn in hell for doing it... but I still think it's a great idea...

Sounds like a good place to point to...

The Internet Sacred Texts Archive.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm

The largest freely available archive of online books about religion, mythology, folklore and the esoteric on the Internet. Over 1700 different texts from paractically every literate religion and philosophy on Earth.

I've used this resource for years, and it really is the absolute best, no matter what faith you're researching. You can also support the effort by buying all or portions of the archive on CD/DVD.

Small portions from various books - usually those quoted when studying comparative religion - a few pages from the Book of Mormon left here by a missionary - and the entire Old Testament (Jewish religion), some portions more than others and some not recently.

I realize that I am not well read.

I've read enough about the great religions and philosophies to talk semi-intelligently about some of them.

Although what I read broadened my outlook, what contributed most decisively to broadening my spiritual horizon were my own mystical experiences.