I respect your right to study whatever you want. But I've studied religion (I'm an ex-Christian) and there are so many other more interesting things out there: science, engineering, mathematics, technology (all kinds, not just computers), music, nature, ad infinitum.

None of the gods, of the world's major religions, exist. They are inherently divisive because their believers cannot agree about their fantasies.

Science, music, mathematics, etc., are the study of things that do exist. These things are great unifiers. Musicians may disagree about many things, but come together to create a beautiful concert. Scientists across the globe routinely collaborate and produce knowledge that benefits humanity, even though they may disagree about politics, economics, etc.

Are you sure that you will be happy studying divisive beliefs in things that don't exist?

I am curious about other's beliefs and desire to understand them and treat them with empathy and compassion. But respect? That depends. Respect for the person as a human, sure. Respect for their religious faith? No. Respect for their right to their own beliefs? Yes. Respect for their imagined right to their own facts? No. Admiration for their devotion to the failed epistemology of religious faith? No.

I am a former evangelical with significant theological "education" under my belt including a so-called comparative religion class that was part of that. It was not an objective class, offered as it was by a sectarian institution. It was more a list of reasons why everyone else was wrong and we were right. But since those long-ago days I have pursued less biased information and spoken with a good number of people from other faiths and from the parts of Christianity that seemed alien to me (mostly, liberal Christianity). It's all good if, like me, you're interested. But my reason for doing so is not precisely what you state -- to respect other's beliefs so we may all coexist. It is to understand other's beliefs and find points of commonality so that any two parties who choose to can peacefully coexist.

The problem is that many fundamanetalists choose NOT to coexist. For them, we are the Hated Other, their enemy and god's enemy. No amount of understanding on my part (and I have a great deal of it, being that I formerly was one of them) is going to overcome the deliberately blinkered lack of understanding on their part. And given the terrible harms of their hateful ideology, I am not going to ignore them or give them an unchallenged free ride in the marketplace of ideas.

No, ‘beliefs’ are fleeting. And in those cases, should be. There may be distorted threads of history in them, but having to parse that from fantasy seems of little value. As we here should know, humanity needs to distance itself from fantasy and unite over reality … not the other way around ~

Religions are fascinating. One at least needs to understand the basic ideas and apologetics of the major ones to understand where they are coming from. I can’t understand why anyone can be religious and believe in fairytales and sky wizards, but I find religions fascinating.

We do coexist, not necessarilly harmonioosly though.

I think many athiests and and agnostics are more interested than most folks in comparative religion and the historical development of various religions. There are also plenty of athiests and agnostics who don't care to spend much time thinking about religion. Like you, I find religion fascinating--unbelievable, but fascinating.

I do take some issue with the coexist movement/the live and let live mentality for several reasons. First and foremost, this sentiment is not being reciprocated by the other side (most of the time, albeit not all of the time). It feels like a green light for indifference/inaction no matter how harsh or cruel one side is acting or how much they are harming others in various ways. They do not seem to do their part very well, if at all. Many doctrines of various faiths discourage coexistence. They encourage division and us versus them mentality, and at worst--the complete and utter annihilation of opposing groups or views. It's a nice idea and all.

On the belief part, being part of a secular nation, I respect people's right to believe what they wish and live their life how they wish, but do not respect the beliefs themself. I do, however, draw a line between what are acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Consequently, not all belief systems can be seen as equals. Since many of these beliefs cause harm, whether it be mental, physical, or societal, I'm naturally in opposition to certain beliefs. This is usually only when I see these belief systems in action or attempting to assert more power than should be allowed in a secular society, one built on one of the founding principles of the separation of church and state. Much of this is why I feel a strong need to censor myself in the public sphere. It is because the other side does not extend the same courtesy to me. They have a low tolerance for my views and at worst, a low tolerance for my existance.

I've always felt the need to learn more on various topics, not just religious beliefs.

Nope I do not want to coexist with those who belive they should kill me or make me abide by their beliefs. I do study religious beliefs every day in order to either discover the truth of their God or debunk their Mythology. After over a quarter of a century it has sadly ended up to be the latter. I love to study Religion oddly as I am an anti-theist, that is I am against living ones life as If mythology is real. It is dangerous and is not healthy for a rational creature to do.