Very interesting subject. I have often wondered why Judaism and Christianity and Islam as so "thou shalt have no other gods before me," while in China, for instance, it is common to mix a bit of Confucious, a bit of Taoism, a bit of Buddhism. For that matter, the JuBu community has not only been at the Jewish table for a couple of decades, but was immortalized to some degree in "The Jew and the Lotus".
We live very fractured lives - bits are spent in our religious community, bits in our work and family and friend communities, our TV-watching peers - it makes perfect sense that our religion should begin to resemble a patchwork quilt, as well.
Having said that, and Unitarianism aside, I think that the way that Judaism and Christianity, Judaism and Islam worked out who they were over several centuries, in part, by saying, "I'm not like THAT guy" precludes comfortable Jewish-Muslim or Jewish-Christian (or Christian-Muslim) fusions. There is too much emotional and historical baggage. And no Buddhist or Hindu ever forced Jews to convert, or burned Jews alive for refusing to do so.
Very interesting subject. I have often wondered why Judaism and Christianity and Islam as so "thou shalt have no other gods before me," while in China, for instance, it is common to mix a bit of Confucious, a bit of Taoism, a bit of Buddhism. For that matter, the JuBu community has not only been at the Jewish table for a couple of decades, but was immortalized to some degree in "The Jew and the Lotus".
We live very fractured lives - bits are spent in our religious community, bits in our work and family and friend communities, our TV-watching peers - it makes perfect sense that our religion should begin to resemble a patchwork quilt, as well.
Having said that, and Unitarianism aside, I think that the way that Judaism and Christianity, Judaism and Islam worked out who they were over several centuries, in part, by saying, "I'm not like THAT guy" precludes comfortable Jewish-Muslim or Jewish-Christian (or Christian-Muslim) fusions. There is too much emotional and historical baggage. And no Buddhist or Hindu ever forced Jews to convert, or burned Jews alive for refusing to do so.