I am an atheist, yet I would love to learn more of religions and what not. How could I go about setting up an apoinment with a religous offical without making a fool of myself or someone I'm close to?
by 
Inspector Javert
ANSWERS: 12
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sounds to me like you are agnostic.. why not read some text on the various religions. I find preists and minister etc.. to be VERY BIASED about their chosen religions, and not very open to questions or debate.
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I cannot understand the last part of your question. Are you worried that, by admitting you have religious curiosity, you would upset someone you are close to? That is a serious problem 1) that you are afraid to express yourself to this person 2) that this person exerts spiritual pressure on you I think you need to sort out your relationship with this person, so that you feel free to pursue your search, either with their blessing and support, or, if you must do it without, you have the courage to follow your own path. The God of Christianity says, over and over again "Those who seek me will find me". I found this to be true. I had to stand against family who disagreed strongly, but I followed the God I know to be true, and nothing has been more important in my life than following Him. It has meant times of estrangement from my birth family, and I still am not free to talk about my faith with my siblings, but I leave that in God's hands, knowing that He is working behind the scenes in ways I cannot understand, to bring them closer to Him. In the meantime, He has given me a husband who walks the same road as I.
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You can learn a lot about other faiths on the Internet, without having to leave the comfort of your home! http://www.religioustolerance.org/ http://www.adherents.com/ http://www.beliefnet.com/
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I think you'll find that most religions are quite welcoming to anyone who's curious and just wants to talk. Typically a priest, minister, rabbi, or other clergy is very well trained in how to talk to others about their faith, and understands both the need for discretion as well as the need to avoid pressuring someone who doesn't believe as they do. I'm Buddhist, and it's quite common for non-Buddhists to come to introductory workshops offered by my center, where the teacher explains what Buddhism is about and answers questions. It's a non-threatening environment where they can find out about Buddhism without having to make any commitments, etc. One thing I highly recommend in your situation is to read Huston Smith's "The World's Religions"... it is by far the best broad introduction to religions of the world, in my opinion -- enjoyable to read, respectful, informative, and does a great job of tying together the whole topic of spirituality and mankind's quest for understanding of the whole: http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780062508119-2 ($11.50 at Powells.com, or you can probably find it in your library)
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There are many ways to learn of other religions as people have answered seek holy men clergy priests rabbis or if you want you could try to sign up for a course at my community college i took a course called world religions it teaches you about other religions without making any sacrifice to any of them it teaches you of religions customs and beliefs, traditions and gods and it is very non jugemental there was a athiest man in our class and he was treated the same as every other stdent you dont even have to tell them your religion if you are not confortable putting it out there dont be afraid to ask questions. The only dumb question is not asking one at all.
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A religious official? Why not just go? What religions are you interested in? Does it matter? There are books, hundreds in fact, on each and every one. Maybe you want to join a non-denominational one that welcomes all beliefs. It might be adventurous to just caste your fate to the wind, but personally, I would like to study up on one before I just ventured in the door. It would be a shame if you got further turned off because you picked one that was not for you and shut down. Find out what you are looking for and I promise you there is a relious belief and/or church of your liking. I'm glad you are keeping an open mind.
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.....Well I give you a few wise words... Dont think that all "Christian leaders" represent Christian beliefs. In fact...very few do. If we were to all understand the bible in the way it was written...there wouldnt be different sects of the Christian faith...There would only be 1. There is only 1 bible, 1 way...and 1 truth to it. I would not go to the Catholic church to find answers either. Everything they do is backwards, confused...and intertwinned with abominations to God. Infact...some of the smartest people are some of the quietest, most random people I have ever met. "A wise man to men, is a fool to God" "A fool to men, is a wise man to God."
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I would suggest going to a neutral source. Most religions will try to simply steer you towards their own. There are lots of sites that can tell you what every religion says in their own words without the attempt to convert. if you want the cliffs notes verion of religions, wikipedia or religioustolerance.org are not bad places to start. If you really like to read, you read the source texts of major and obscure religions at sacred-texts.com
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I would suggest searching the library or taking a comparative religions class. That way you could get an overview so you could narrow your search down to what inteests you quicker.
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Personally, I'd start with some books. But if you prefer the personal interview approach, walk into a Church, Temple, Mosq, or whatever and ask for an appointment. If you want to look a bit deeper - every decent sized town in the US has an esoteric bookshop where you will find info on various neo-pagan groups, Satanists, UFOlogists etc. Have fun. Good luck. Stay sharp - some WILL try to brainwash and convert you. +5
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I'd simply read "The Religions of Man" by Huston Smith for a good overview of their beginnings.
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Best way would be to walk in or call, say that you aren't interested in joining, but are just wanting to learn about their belief system. That way they won't be trying to convert you so much as just sharing what they believe........I find that these kinds of exchanges, so long as they remain non-confrontational, are quite interesting and enjoyable for all parties involved. And most nowday also have websites as well. But NEVER learn about one religion from ANOTHER religion. Always take it straight from the horse's mouth, Otherwise you'll get a terribly skewed and biased "version" of what the other religion might be. Good luck, its very facinating!!
El Soupy 
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