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Which religious scriptures have you read other than your own religion's?

Fully, mostly, or in tiny parts?

What kind of study have you done of other religions, academic (meaning approaching without belief that the religion is Truth) or questioning (meaning approaching with an open mind that the religion might be Truth) or in disbelief (meaning that you just know it's wrong)?

Update:

I've read, English translations:

Christian Bible (whole, several times)

Jewish Talmud (itty bitty bit, very bitty)

Jewish Tanakh (whole)

Islam's Koran (half-ish)

Hindi Mahabharata (about half, very pretty)

Baghavad Gita (part of the Mahabharata anyway)

Hindi Upanishads (less than half)

several Buddhist sutras and thinkers (mostly Mahayana)

Zoroastrian's Vendidad (in small part)

Analects of Confucious

Taoism's Lieh-Tzu

There's more, but I can't think of the names. I read some Jain works. I've read some stuff by Wiccans. I've read some druidic stuff. I've

I'm curious because so many people purport their religious views as the one true way and I wonder how many have actually read any other way. I positive that I'm guilty of it myself.

27 Answers

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    Let's see. I'm a Christian and I've read/studied in part or in whole:

    the Tao Te Ching, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Qur'an, the Avesta, the Pali Canon, and the Satanic bible.

    I've read (or am reading) The God Delusion, The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Letter to a Christian Nation, Thomas Paine's End of Reason, and Acharya S's The Christ Conspiracy.

    I've read various books on Wicca, paganism, and Druidism. I've studied Zoroastrianism, Mithraism (both Roman and Persian), Egyptian mythology, Greek mythology, Celtic mythology, Roman mythology, and Norse mythology.

    I've also read most of the Gnostic and Apocryphal texts.

    I studied most before becoming a Christian, but just because I believe I've found the truth doesn't stop me from studying other perspectives with an open mind.

    Edit: For me it's been a mix of both academic and questioning. Currently, I study for academic reasons. In the past, I studied because I was questioning.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    It is a very nice question. In fact, I read The Old Testament, in addition to the Greek Scriptures or books also I read the New Testament.

    I read the Holy Quran. Moreover, I tried to read something about the Talmud, "The Oral Law"; besides, the teachings of Prophet Mohammad.

    I have done tiny readings on the Baha'i Faith, too.

    The goal behind all these readings was just a matter of questioning with an open mind away from bigoted and preplanned opinions.

  • 1 decade ago

    I read the bible cover to cover

    I read the Bagavad Gita translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

    Translated exerts from the Koran

    Many books by the Golden dawn Society and Aleister Crowley

    The Satanic Bible by Anton Le Vay

    A lot of Wiccan lore

    Book of the SubGenius

    But the only one that works for me is

    The Principia Discordia

    OR

    How I Found Goddess And What I Did To Her When I Found Her

    Wherein is Explained

    Absolutely Everything Worth Knowing

    About Absolutely Anything

    All religions are true in some sense, false in some sense, meaningless in some sense, true and false in some sense, true and meaningless in some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and true and false and meaningless in some sense.

  • 5 years ago

    Yes I have read books of other religions. I should say, I have read some of the books which are true spiritual essences. And I also further say that , there is nothing like comparison between any religion with my religion. All are unique and all have something or other to offer for evolving spiritually. Further , reading the books of spirituality of other religions does not give me right to compare and confront others. And if I pick up such confrontations then it is me who is loosing and I should be the greatest fool ever.

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  • 1 decade ago

    Qur'an

    Old Testament

    New Testament

    Book of Mormon

    Book of Moses

    Book of Enoch

    Book of Abraham

    Dead Sea Scrolls

    Jerusalem Talmud

    Mishnah

    5366 Greek Manuscripts

    Apocrypha

    The Early Fathers (Apostalic) (Vulgate)

    Manuscripts relating to the Early Life of Abraham form Islam, Christian, Greek sources

  • The Veda(Buddhist). I generally don't study other religions to keep myself from becoming confused about my religion which is Christianity. I do read about Greek,Egyptian,and Roman gods,deities,etc., but I don't think those are considered religions. I used to go to the Temple(Buddhist house of worship) with my friend whos asian and I beileve Buddhism is a teaching not a religion and it makes sense, and I knew it was wrong for me to be there which is why I don't go there anymore.

  • 1 decade ago

    The Bible and The Bhagvaad Gita. A mix of both academic and disbelief

  • 1 decade ago

    I've read parts of different texts, but nothing in full. I've done a bunch of studying into other religions, out of curiosity, wanting to know what they teach and what their followers believe.

    I'm convinced more and more that Jesus Christ is the only true God and that the only way we can be saved is by faith in Him. Studying other faiths reinforced that, I found.

  • 1 decade ago

    I was brought up into a Christian family; however, never "fully" grasped the religion.

    Going into college, I took a World Religions course. I learned, and read scriptures from: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam...ETC.

    I learned a lot about the beliefs in other cultures, and lost many preconceived notions about them. I gained respect for many of the traditions.

  • 1 decade ago

    I don't have a religious scripture, but I'm very interested in others'.

    I've read a good portion of the Bible, the first five surahs of the Qur'an, the Dhammapada, Tao Te Ching, bits of the Book of Mormon, and some others.

    I haven't academically studied any of them yet, as I'm still new to college and trying to take the basics first. ^_^

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