Misjudging religions

[arete]

Most religions I've encountered I know nothing about them. For example, celtic religion is a mystery to me. But what I find wrong in my thinking is that I misjudge religions I know little about. Satanism is one case. I thought Satanism is a religion where people want a patron to cause harm and misery to others. But I don't have a clue what Satanism is, actually. I think that I jump to conclusions easily and without knowledge, so my point to this post is that jumping to conclusions isn't very bright. 

Have you ever misjudged a religion?

[EclecticWheel]

Most religions I've encountered I know nothing about them. For example, celtic religion is a mystery to me. But what I find wrong in my thinking is that I misjudge religions I know little about. Satanism is one case. I thought Satanism is a religion where people want a patron to cause harm and misery to others. But I don't have a clue what Satanism is, actually. I think that I jump to conclusions easily and without knowledge, so my point to this post is that jumping to conclusions isn't very bright. 

Have you ever misjudged a religion?

Though I wasn't raised in it by my parents I converted to my father's religious tradition when I was a child -- Pentecostalism.

At some point after that I misjudged religions all the time just because I was taught that our one tiny sect was the only religion in which there was assurance of salvation, and not only that (which in some form is really a common Christian belief), but we tended to look down on outsiders.  We were taught all kinds of misinformation about other religious traditions.

Then one day at around 14 I realized I couldn't intellectually adhere to that religion anymore.  These days I try not to make assumptions about religions.  I have even learned to appreciate some good in the tradition of my childhood.

[Hariti]

Have you ever misjudged a religion?

Sadly. When I was younger, I bought into a lot of the Islamophobic rhetoric and propaganda that was being promoted after 9/11. I didn't know anything about Islam, and I assumed that the things people were saying were accurate. I'm glad that I informed myself later, but I regret ever holding such backwards views to begin with.

[arete]

Though I wasn't raised in it by my parents I converted to my father's religious tradition when I was a child -- Pentecostalism.

At some point after that I misjudged religions all the time just because I was taught that our one tiny sect was the only religion in which there was assurance of salvation, and not only that (which in some form is really a common Christian belief), but we tended to look down on outsiders.  We were taught all kinds of misinformation about other religious traditions.

Then one day at around 14 I realized I couldn't intellectually adhere to that religion anymore.  These days I try not to make assumptions about religions.  I have even learned to appreciate some good in the tradition of my childhood.

When I was a kid, they taught us at school that only christian orthodox will go to heaven. Even the denomination mattered for salvation! 

[arete]

Sadly. When I was younger, I bought into a lot of the Islamophobic rhetoric and propaganda that was being promoted after 9/11. I didn't know anything about Islam, and I assumed that the things people were saying were accurate. I'm glad that I informed myself later, but I regret ever holding such backwards views to begin with.

Yes, Islam may be the most misjudged religion, actually.