Being An Insider & Outsider

This week in class we talked a little about the advantages and disadvantages of being an insider or an outsider of a religion. The point of this class is to look at religion from an outside perspective. A point I kind of brought up in class is that it is easier to take an outside perspective of a religion that's not your own.
Since we started looking at Christianity I've had the problem of taking the insider perspective, because that is what I am. It's hard to look at your own religion from outside because this usally entails questioning the practices and beliefs. What you believe is what you believe and eventally what you are becomes why you are. For instance, take a true Christian that loves all with the love of God. Many may say why is he/she like that, and the answer is because of what he/she is a Christian. Also when you are an insider it's hard to analyze your religion because it involves spectulation. It is difficult because you feel that you don't need to spectulate about things of your religion, you already know why certain things are done. This are the drawbacks of being an insider in this type of class. But on the other hand, you may be able to educate and outsider.
As an outsider your mind is more open. Personally feelings and beliefs don't stand in the way of how you interpret a religion. At the same time though all you are able to do is assume. By assuming comes the risk of misinterpreting the religion. Due to the fact that their is no personal connection as an outsider, there is no meaning (significance) of the things you look at (i.e. text, practices, etc.). This can also lead to misinterpretation.
In closing, it is definately good and bad sides to both perspectives. But I think for me it's kind of interesting haveing both perspectives. Being an insider I know about my religion but being an outsider let's me consider alternative interpretations and learn what others may think about my religion and enables me to examine it through that lens and sometimes understand that point of view.