OP here. Thanks for the responses.

I am in my mid-30s, college educated and well educated about world religions. I took courses in college, have friends of many religions and different faiths, and have felt (as an adult) that it is so important to be knowledgable about other religions - particularly if one professes to be devout in a faith. I was raised in a religious home and feel ties to that faith.

However, over the years of getting to know my in-laws' differing views about this concept, I am beginning to question my own incessant need to be knowledgable about other faiths. My in-laws are not educated, are blue collar, small-minded, and fairly uninterested in the world outside their neighborhood (qualities not in their favor). They are devout in their faith and although they are self-proclaimed ingorami about other world religions, I am beginning to wonder if that actually matters... and here's why: while it is important to be knowledgable about the world, history, culture, etc. for many reasons, I wonder if it is different for religion/faith. Faith is about belief, not about proof, right? So what does it matter what other cultures and people believe, if you truly believe in your faith?
Obviously, faith transcends class and economy - my in-laws' church is composed of rich and poor, educated and not - but getting back to my original point, what does your education matter, if you truly believe in a religion?

I can't decide if I have come to this new viewpoint as a consolation to them, or an educated view that with all of the knowledge in the world, we still believe at heart what we believe?
It has always struck me as interesting that people often go through stages in their lives with their religion - young adults do a lot of soul searching, go to college and learn so much about the world, only to often come back to their heritage (or another faith) in later years of life.

If you are getting my thought process, even if you disagree, let me know your thoughts.

I'm an atheist but believe educated people should be informed about the world's major religions.

I'm a religious educator, so although I do know a tremendous amount about most religions, that's a result of my profession and not my upbringing. Whatever I learned about Christianity and Islam (I'm Jewish), I learned on my own from friends. It wasn't until college that I started any formal learning about religions other than my own.

If you want a great basic starting point, I highly recommend a book called How To Be A Perfect Stranger. It's set up kind of like a guidebook to use as you explore different faith communities and it provides a good starting point for just about every religious group you can think of. I especially recommend it for those visiting other houses of worship for things like a Bar Mitzvah or a baptism, because it answers a lot of those appropriate dress/gift/etiquette questions we are all sometimes embarrassed to ask.

Non-religious Seventh-day Adventist here. I took a world religion course in college that covered the major religions of the world starting from their historical conceptions, it was quite fascinating.

Catholic here. Decent understanding of Judaism and Islam, due to living in a Middle Eastern Muslim country growing up and having a few Jewish relatives. Limited understanding of other religions though.

I am Catholic. I know quite a bit about Latter Day Saints because I've had/have a lot of friends who are Mormon. I've also had some Jewish friends and have learned about that a bit as well...but my Jewish friends were not fully practicing, and I find Orthodox Judaism to be the one I am most interested in learning about (not to convert, but I just find it interesting).

Honestly, I just have no interest in learning about the other religions (Hindu, Buddhism, etc)

Anonymous wrote:I would not call Religulous a "fair view". He shares some information about some religions primarily to mock them.

I was raised evangelical and am now an atheist. I find religion fascinating. I have taken college courses on religions of the world and have a tendency to respectfully quiz/interview people from religions that I don't have experience with. A book about religion can only teach you so much.

Because of my Southern Baptist schooling and exposure to some of the worst that Christianity has to offer, I hold a certain level of disdain for all things Christian. Many of my friends are Christian and I find it is best if we just don't discuss it.

Can you elaborate?

I would not call Religulous a "fair view". He shares some information about some religions primarily to mock them.

I was raised evangelical and am now an atheist. I find religion fascinating. I have taken college courses on religions of the world and have a tendency to respectfully quiz/interview people from religions that I don't have experience with. A book about religion can only teach you so much.

Because of my Southern Baptist schooling and exposure to some of the worst that Christianity has to offer, I hold a certain level of disdain for all things Christian. Many of my friends are Christian and I find it is best if we just don't discuss it.

If anyone is interested in learning more about different faiths, I highly recommend books by Karen Armstrong. Most are about the three Abrahamic faiths, but I think she wrote a biography about Buddha , and her "History of God" examines Hinduism and Buddhism in addition to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I find her books to be pretty easy to read, and very respectful of different religions (she's a former nun, FWIW). They provide great cultural and historical context that help explain the birth and practice of each religion.

I think PP is joking, at least I hope s/he is. Religulous is one of the most offensive movies I've ever seen. And I'm pretty liberal. But Bill Maher is so self righteous and unyielding in his atheism that he's the very thing he blatantly makes fun of in the movie. To answer your question, I'm Catholic, I consider myself pretty spiritual, and although I have friends of different faiths I sadly don't known as much about those faiths (or even my own really, besides attending church "regularly") as I'd like. I should get a book. This thread has been thought provoking.

Watch BillMaher's Religulous. It is factual. D provides a fair view of the world's top religions.

Raised Baptist in South America, went to Catholic school and always had interest in learning from others about their faith and discussing it.

Yes. It's hard to examine your own faith if it is all you have ever known, if you have nothing to compare it to. Comparative religions gives perspective.

Indifferent to other faiths or the lack of.

No judgement, just trying to clarify my changing opinion about the need to be informed about other faiths and histories if one has a deep belief in a particular religion/faith.

What is the background of your faith (was it your parents' faith, did you convert) and how well aware do you think you are of other faiths? Why os that important or not important to you?