The Key To Respecting Religious Groups We Don’t Agree With, According To Reza Aslan

58a74f6c25000034080b9c05Source: Huffington Post

By Antonia Blumberg

It’s easy to write off belief systems that may seem strange or foreign. But perhaps there’s something even the most devout among us can learn from exploring the unknown.

That’s the premise of author and scholar Reza Aslan’s new CNN show, “Believer,” which explores some of the world’s most misunderstood religious sects.

“My intention with everything I’ve ever done in my career has been to find ways to break through the walls that separate us, whether that’s religion, nationality or what have you,” Aslan said in a recent interview with The Huffington Post.

And that’s the primary aim of “Believer,” Aslan said, which premieres on Sunday, March 5. “Our hope is to introduce people to world views and faith communities that may seem a little strange and foreign and even frightening, but after watching me go through the experience of becoming part of these communities they may seem more relatable.”

Shot in 2015, the series is broken into six, hour-long segments that show Aslan’s immersive journey into a different faith community. He spent seven to 10 days with each group, exploring Ultra-Orthodox Judaism in Israel, Scientology in the U.S., Hindu asceticism in India, Vodou in Haiti, Santa Muerte in Mexico, and an apocalyptic doomsday cult in Hawaii.

Aslan has made a career of challenging stereotypes and misconceptions people hold toward different religions, but he admitted there were times he was forced to confront his own bias while filming the show.

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