Why are many religions similar??

I dont know if its just me, but it seems that there are many similarities within nearly every religion. From Jedo-Christian beliefs to Ancient Latin American Taino Beliefs it seems they have intresting similarities.

For example: I found it intresting that many civilizations had the belief of 1 main god (even if some were polythiestic there was never gods of equal power, 1 king god, and lessers or simply angels) a great flood, 2 feuding brothers that had (often one that did good things and one that was jelous like Kain and Abel), Something about god punishing his children (humans). And alot of beliefs have virtually the same "end of the world" stuff to it.

Can someone give me an explination for this? Im not into any religion myself nor am i Athiest, but im just curious why there seems to be such striking similarities yet alot of these similarities are often on different sides of the world.

As far as I see it, There is 1 main god, and man's interpretation of god has branched forth different yet some how equal religions. It just makes me curious of the notion is all.

Share your thoughts please, or atleast help me understand better.

You may be interested in this thread. Around post #1488193, there are are a few lists of comparisons among religions.

As for your question, my short answer would be "because the future is derived from the past." The dawn of religion had people in different areas in the world all worshipping the sun and aspects of the seasons - understandably, as their survival depended on these things directly. As we advanced, I think we were able to concentrate on less important things in our religious mythology, like afterlives and Gods who care about us as individuals and whatnot.

Zip

its becuase all religions have truth in them. Truth can be destroyed if aliens land and say that they made us and created our bible.

In the fourth gospel, it is written of Messiah:

John 1:4
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

and

John 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

The one thing runs through all of us--but by being largely unaware of the commonality we all share in our Creator, combined with the limits of verbally doing justice to spiritual insight, mankind has defined and explained one thing in a countless variety of ways (compounded by time, distance, and cultural differences)--and so what seems like a bunch of separate religions that seem to have begged, borrowed, and stolen ideas from one another is really only the result of delusion caused by a material perspective:

John 1:5
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

i believe it is because all of the stories that are projected in the different holy books are versions of older stories that circulated. Many of them may have come from the same areas of civilization, and were spread through verbal tellings, and at the time the people who were writing the books, thought them to be good stories to use to teach lessons of their particular faith.

also, i am of the belief that all the messiahs were sent down to the different areas according to what that group of people would be inclined to believe the most.

i do have a theory that the messiahs and profits are in fact "aliens". I mean, what better way to control a large group of people than sending down different leaders to different areas instead of having just one person the world over?

because it is from the same source, the same beginning but it's just like a game of Chinese Whispers, with an agenda..............

Zipdot and Mayet have basically given the answer. There are similarities among numerous religions because they have the same origin.

Greek paganism, Roman paganism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have Egyptian mythology at their root. Buddhism seems to have had other origins, but it is arguably not a religion at all, but a philosophy of life.

I would have said they are similar because one God is trying to save us all, but can't get his followers around each region quick enough so starts many similar ones.

Of course, there is a logical problem with this, in that religions fight each other, so this idea gets completely rubbish, which god wouldn't want to let happen.

Wasn't Buddha an incarntion of Krishna?

Originally posted by apex
Of course, there is a logical problem with this, in that religions fight each other, so this idea gets completely rubbish, which god wouldn't want to let happen.

it seems to me that if this were the case, this 'god' doesnt meddle very often in the affairs of men directly.. the reason for this is this lifetime is supposed to be a lesson.. a method to teach us for the next life. if you constantly have someone interferring giving you answers to questions and solving problems for you, you're not gonna learn anything, completely killing the whole point of this existance.

[edit on 10/31/2005 by McGuirk]

Originally posted by scienceguy94
its becuase all religions have truth in them. Truth can be destroyed if aliens land and say that they made us and created our bible.

Truth can be destroyed by aliens! Aliens=Satan

Belive in Jesus before Aliens folks

[edit on 1-11-2005 by japike]

Originally posted by japike
Truth can be destroyed by aliens! Aliens=Satan

Which gospel is that in?

Originally posted by spamandham

Originally posted by japike
Truth can be destroyed by aliens! Aliens=Satan

Which gospel is that in?

The gospels?

I think churchianity pays more attention to the Megapastors, than the gospels.

No where in the bible does it say that aliens equal Satan. It is a subjective belief based upon edited doctrine of the faith.

For some great thoughts on the similarities between religion, see:
Primitive Mythology
and for a lighter read
Transformations of Myth Through Time


[size=-3]the good old man of comparative mythology