Hi all,
I don't know where else to ask but I guess asking here would be the most appropriate. I'm looking for the religious texts of hinduism, budhism, judaism, christianity, islam and etc. I guess what I'm really asking is where can I find the most unbiased translation of these texts. Also, I want to read them in order from the oldest religion to the newest religion. I'm just doing this out of curiosity and boredom. I'm very curious to the history of religion and its evolution. However, I'm an atheist and not one bit interested in enlightenment (no offense to those who are religious).
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks for help in advance!
Islamicist here.
If you wanna read the Quran I suggest translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, but I would like to add that if you really wanna learn about the religion (and I guess it's the same for the others too), I'd advice you to read text-books instead. This for several reasons, not least because you as an atheist will never be able to understand the Quran the same way a practicing Muslim does. Also, you will not be able to say what the Quran says, because that depends on the interpretation of the reader (i.e. how it is used varies greatly). Futhermore, many people argue that the Quran is not a text, it is a recitation, and to try to understand it by reading it and analyzing it as a text is wrong. Lastly, it is not the only source of religious guidance to Muslims, there is also the Hadiths, reason, "tradition", etc.
In short, read textbooks instead, but if not then use Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation.