Sprititual Buffet

There's something awesome about a buffet isn't there? The seemingly endless choice. The ability to usually eat as much food as you possibly can, and to make the plate of your dreams. You can take meaetballs, apple pie, a lasagna, pizza and shrimp one time, and the next time up choose some soup, a salad, perhaps a piece of roast beef, and cake. It's great. You get exactly what you want, and only what you want.
Lately there seems to have been a religious version of the buffet. People go from church to church, religion to religion and take bits and pieces. Ideas, gods, beliefs and cultures, and mix it together into their own form of "perfect" religion. They create their ideal plate. They have the best of everything, and only what they want. It's called Syncretism. Now, don't get me wrong. I want to say first and foremost that I think there is something that can be learned from pretty much every religion. But when you start taking pieces of this religion, with ideas from that religion and create a religious smorgasborg (I don't know how to spell that), you are living very dangerously. It's like taking Scripture out of context, you lose the intent, the meaning...and you make it mean what you want it to mean. Have you noticed how big yoga has gotten lately? Does anyone realise the religious conotations that go along with Yoga? It's more than just stretching...it's a spiritual action. It would be like if everyone started having baptism groups and we opened up a store that sold baptism tanks and baptism clothes and stuff, and made it into a "cleansing, healing" thing instead of the religious statement that it is. (Note: I'm not tearing into Yoga and thinking people shouldn't do it...I'm just making a point here).
There seems to be 2 waves of thought. There are those people who see all opossing religions as "evil" and "infidels" Like a church in Florida that has people burning the Koran as a show of remembrance for the victims of 911. And saying that Islam is of the devil. Or the Crusades, holocaust, genocides, KKK. All of these stems from a belief that "we are right, and you are wrong and EVIL!". This is the one extreme, and I think that it is just as bad as the other "buffet" extreme I mentioned earlier. The buffet seems more accepting. It seems more peaceful and loving. But is it really? In a sense it is saying, "I like this part of your religion, but the rest of it is crap...so I'll throw that away and add parts of this religion".
Let's learn from other religions yes. I think we should be in awe of the respect Sikhs have to the environment (here in Abbotsford, the walk EVERYWHERE..literally), the quiet meditation that Buddhists observe (meditation is not evil...we have a false sense of what meditation truly is), the passion that Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses have for spreading the "good news". I disagree with their methods, but I can't deny their passion and I wish I was that passionate. Don't be afraid to learn from other religions. When you travel to another country, you learn from their culture and customs. But don't go too far with learning from other religions. Look what happened to the Israelites when they "synced" with all the other religions around them. It tore them apart, and it led to their conquering, and exile. Other religions are not evil. Most religions have a lot of things right...just be very careful to create your own religious "plate". Religion is filled with things that are easy to follow, and tough to follow. There are things that I like about Christianity, and things that I don't like. I can't just throw away what I don't like and add things that I like from Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims or whatever.
I realize I've rambled, and I know I have really repeated myself a lot, and likely confused you. I apologize for that. This is more raising ideas, raising concerns, and giving you something to think about. If you are confused, I am sorry. Leave your comments. What do you think of Syncretism? With the spiritual buffet? Should we learn from other religions, or should we try to avoid them? Leave your thoughts!