This is by no means and exhaustive list... but it's a place to start. When exploring another religion, or even your own, please keep these helpful hints in mind.
1. Don't judge a religion by its fundamentalists. For example, its not fair to judge the authenticity and devotion of all Muslims based upon the actions of the Taliban. It would be like judging the faith of all Christians based upon the actions of the Westboro Baptists. Ask yourself... how are the majority Christians/Muslims living their faith?
2. Understand that you will never fully understand a religion like its practitioners. Remember, only those who devote their lives to the practice and study of their religion fully understand the spirit of it. Simply reading about a religion in a book or attending a worship service, however beneficial, will not give you the full sense of any religion.
3. Give your questions to the right people. Don't be like Bill Maher in Religulous and interview people about their faith at truck stops. Even the most faithful members of a religion may not have the education and practical training neccessary to adequately answer your questions. Seek out teachers and religious leaders in the faiths you wish to explore.
4. Don't judge the religion by the concepts and principles that you believe in. Every religion does not have to have a "devil" and a "savior." Further, all deities and spirits found in other religions should not be labeled demons.
5. Recognize that while truth is not subjective... it can express itself in many forms. Many of the world's religions have different ways of saying very congruent things. Just because someone is of a different faith than yourself does not mean that what they believe is 100% absent of truth.
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