In the beginning... (start here)

Here it is:
For the next year, ending on Easter, 2010, I will be studying and practicing Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, in addition to my usual Buddhist practice.

I feel like I have a dozen different reasons to do this interfaith experiment, yet every time somebody asks me why I am doing this, I'm never quite sure what to say.

Why would I, a Zen Buddhist (and not a very good one at that), decide to simultaneously practice Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? Is it even possible to be a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew, all at once?

I'm not a theologian, so I don't know if its possible, but I am going to try. At the very least I will study and participate as much as I can; whether or not that actually makes me a valid Muslim/Christian/Jew is up for debate. You decide. I'm not doing this for the title.

I'm doing this to understand.

"There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." A Persian poet by the name of Rumi said that, and it brings forth a simple truth: Yes, there are hundreds of ways to worship, to believe, to express our faith, to "kiss the ground."

So why is everybody so convinced that there is only one way, and that their way is the best?

The three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) have shaped the world in powerful ways, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. Yet people tend to only know a general amount of information about one, while remaining willfully ignorant about the others. Some people ignore them all together, then wonder about their actions. (The Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad is a good example of such confusion).
These three religions are also deeply embedded in politics which have greatly effected our world. Wars and crusades and laws and riots and revolutions have often revolved around a religious ideal, and some still do.

I'm doing this to seek a higher understanding of the power of religion, of why people worship, of the changes, of the differences and similarities between the three, as well as their internal struggles. I'm doing this to challenge myself, to question my beliefs as well as others, to understand differing points of view.

I hope to do this as peacefully as possible, with an open mind and an open heart. I do this in the name of knowledge, and I do not wish to bring shame or embarrassment to any of the traditions.

Please feel free to leave a comment, or email me with your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions. My email is