Excite Instead of Offending: How to Pick the Perfect Gift for Someone Who's Religious

Whether it's an old friend, your uncle or a new work colleague, we all have people in our lives who are religious. And while you may be religious yourself, it's normal to not know every detail about all other religions. Knowing that information would require studying over 40 different systems of faith!

Because that's a task that's simply too large for most people to tackle, the good news is it's not necessary in order to bond with someone who has a different religion. It's also not necessary if you want to give them a gift on a special occasion. The reason you don't need to go through that entire process is you're about to read a streamlined guide to finding great gifts for people of different religions:

Judaism

Estimates show that the global population of this faith is around 14 million. While that's smaller than other belief systems like Buddhism, the Chinese Religion, Islam, Sikhism and Taoism, Judaism is still a very influential religion. Even though many of its members had to endure unimaginable horrors, the faith has stayed strong and continues to guide millions of people's paths through life.

If you want to show someone who's Jewish that you care about them, a piece of sterling silver evil eye jewelry is the way to go. Because texts say that the evil eye is capable of causing harm to people who aren't protected, a set of earrings, necklace or bracelet is the best way for an individual to get the protection they need to ward off all the evil that goes along with this powerful look.

Atheist or Agnostic

Many people are surprised to learn that there are over a billion people around the world who are either atheist or agnostic. Because that's a full 20% of the world's population, chances are you know at least a few individuals who fall into either of these groups. Speaking of multiple groups, it's important to clarify the difference between atheism and agnosticism. The former believes there is no God, while the latter believes humans can't know for sure if God exists.

A great gift for someone who's atheist is Bill Maher's movie Religulous, or his stand-up special But I'm Not Wrong. The reason either gift will be thoroughly enjoyed is even though Maher doesn't consider himself an atheist, he's not afraid to dive deep into the subject of religion and really examine it with a critical eye. Each DVD is available from Amazon for less than $15.

For someone who's agnostic, a gift that's related to that fact may not be necessary. Unless a person specifically identifies themselves as agnostic on a regular basis, chances are the best gift will come from getting to know what they're passionate about and then finding a present that's a great fit with what they care about most.

Christianity

Because it includes Catholicism, Protestantism and more, Christianity is the world's biggest religion. When it comes to finding a gift for someone who's part of the two billion people around the globe that practice Christianity, it's worth finding out their specific group. The reason is members of different Christian groups can have significantly different tastes in terms of what they like best.

For example, someone who's Catholic will likely love a gift like rosary beads or an item that honors the Virgin Mary, while an individual who's Methodist will probably be more fond of a gift that's a reverent depiction of just the cross.

How Much Should You Spend On This Gift?

Although the gift you buy for someone who's religious may be different than the gift you buy for someone who just considers themselves a secular individual, when it comes to how much you spend, the rule of thumb is the same. It still makes sense to spend more on someone who's truly close to you than an individual who's a new friend or even just an acquaintance. That means you'll probably put more into buying a gift for an aunt who's always been there for you than a co-worker you just started collaborating with a few months ago.

At first, the task of finding an awesome gift for someone who's very committed to their religion may seem like a tough task to complete. But, as you can see from everything we just covered, you don't have to worry about accidentally offending someone with your gift. Instead, you just need to get on the right track and then you should be able to find the perfect gift in no time!

Ephram Benski has written both online and offline for the last twelve years. During those rare moments when he's away from his keyboard, he enjoys looking for the next vinyl album he plans to add to his record collection.