The power of trans-religious study

There is a world beyond being religious or anti-religious. Being either of those two limits your attention to an extremely narrow band and frequency. The religious will usually only study their Religion and no other. In extreme cases they will claim that only their Religion is right and all others are wrong. This rigid stance has the benefit of sharpening the persons dedication and focus. Single-pointedness creates energy.. But taken too strictly it makes the person stupid and limited in scope. The anti-religious will usually dismiss all Religion as “fairytale” or worse “the cause of all war and suffering”. Thats just as narrow-minded and spills the baby with the bathwater. There is tremendous power, wisdom and learning available in religious texts. ALL of what I know about life, the universe and supporting people in creating their own realities (coaching), I know from the comparative study of Religion. Its also why I am sometimes wary of “new age” books and courses: They often do nothing more than re-package what was written in ancient religious texts – even written more clearly in ancient texts.. Most of us dont know this because we dont learn of religion in our secular schools and we dont learn of other religions in our culture. If the way it is repackaged is better than the ancients put it or adds new insights or new context, thats fine. But in many cases ancient teachings are hijacked without a deeper understanding of their origins and context. It is my opinion that if you want to consider yourself learned and well-versed in life you should have at least some familiarity with all the great books of the world Religions Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam. If you think there is nothing of value to learn from them, that is somewhat arrogant. In trans-religious studies the pieces of the overall puzzle begin to fit together and make sense. You begin to see the lines of thought all religions have in common and what type of thinking gives them their power. You begin to realize that all Religions have a common root. You begin to notice how certain parts and texts may have been distorted throughout the ages for political reasons (hint: notice whether what you are reading incites love or fear/hate, then you can tell whether its true or not. Anything that incites hate does not reflect ultimate reality but a distortion).