I read the major sacred scriptures for Buddhism, Hinduism, and Shintoism in college. My closest friend in high school was Chinese so I was exposed to Buddhists and Confucianists. We never discussed these beliefs much b/c her family was nominally Christian. All the local Chinese people joined the same church together. So I knew decent people believed other than Judaism or Christianity.
School exposed me to upper-caste Hindus. I knew them as people before we discussed Hinduism.
New Age - college by the tons of practicioners. I gave them more respect than they gave me.
New Age people find me too traditional and conservative Christian men get very frustrated with me. I try to stay open. What is right for me is only right for me. I make certain I never preach.
I lived in NY so I knew many Jews of different denominations or branches. They would invite me to Seder. I had to send them Season's Greetings cards. It seemed I was the minority. College seemed very Jewish but I believe that was the Christian perspective. They prob. complained about all the Christians. It may sound ugly but some of the Christians students, including myself, started wearing crosses not to declare faith but to advertise that we were NOT Jewish so the few Christian men knew we were available.
A major Christian church played off this fear in a postive way. A very well vetted private group existed to promote mixing between the sexes. It was so Christian b/c it was part of the church mission. We met in the church parish building. I was going to the bishop who had many daughters if they did not accept me. It was too Christian for its purpose. They were actively soliciting Jewish members when I applied. Several Jewish friends said they would join (there was many clubs, parties, a sail boat, trips abroad, a gym, volunteer activities) if I said it would be ok for them.
I was ever conscious that we were sending socially acceptable signals about our religion. We should have had our foreheads tattooed. I just wanted to be among my own kind for a while. We would sit and discuss the other's religion for hours. It is wonder bread land here.