Atheists when you read about other religions, did you realzie they were similar, and did you stop and think?

Question

that there might be a reason for the similarities, like perhaps there was a grain of truth in the older stories?

christians ripped off their stories from other beliefs, but perhaps the older beliefs have some truth in them?

Answer 1

Or maybe religious beliefs spread and became incorporated into other religions much like language spread and became incorporated into other languages.

We have evidence of both.
Egyptians altered their sun god Ra into Amun-Ra, a semi-Christian monotheistic Creator God, after monotheistic influence from other cultures.

Or does the fact that French, Spanish, Italian, etc have many similarities mean that they derive from a "true language?" No, they are derivatives of Latin, which became corrupted by outside languages.

Answer 2

Yes, I find the similarities in certain thoughts that run through almost all religions something significant to ponder. To me this most likely points to common experience being expressed. The golden rule for instance is present in some form in almost all religions. It makes sense that almost all societies would figure out if you want to be treated decently you have to treat others decently. It doesn't necessarily mean that it was a divinely inspired source but I don't totally discard the notion out of hand and try to remain open minded. I am skeptical about a divine source though. I think the more mythical similarities may be due to the fact religions did not arise in a vacuum but were created from what came before. As urban legend stories evolve for example.

I do think it means there is no one right path or system. To me the right path is the one that works for the individual. It only bothers me when one group disparges the path of another or tries to make everyone walk their path.

Answer 3

I'm not looking for a grain of truth. I'm looking for the whole truth. I'm actually agnostic. I personally believe that no one knows the truth (about religion) but that doesn't mean we shouldn't debate it and search for it.

Ah and "closetcoon_fan" (sorry if thats misspelled) you have no ******* clue as to what you are talking about. You don't have to look at every religion to decide you don't believe in God, no religious faith. That's like saying you need to look at all the religions before you can say that Christianity or Islam is right for you.

Answer 4

Or maybe other religions ripped off stories from Christians beliefs

Answer 5

I wanted to devise one world religion when I was 14.
My father hates that whole one world thing inhis paranoid way (he's a vet, give hima break)
and yet, I hate the Big Brother thing.
So, whatever,
yeah, I knew real yougn that there are certain universal truths,
and I wish to God or the Source or WHO CARES WHAT IT IS ALREADY that we all just got along.
Then biological and socail sciences taughtme that too bad, we will all compete, that's life,
and since the East knows that there is always balance,
I figure Nature will handle us all its own way.
End of story.

Answer 6

There are similarities because all religions are built upon other, much older, religions. Not because there's a truth to them.

Its called evolution of a social standard. Think about it.

Answer 7

I think it's very important that we acknowledge the older stories, since they are different. Humans have been fudging stuff for a very long time, though. Not sure there's any truth to be had.

Answer 8

Most atheists aren't really atheists because you have to take a look at every religion in the entire world to make the decision that none of them are right for you. Even Buddhists are atheists but Buddhism is at least still a religion. Atheists are around because they either just want to be emo or didn't get their toy as a kid for Christmas when they prayed really hard for it.

Answer 9

This makes total sense. Religions have a common history.

The reason for the commonalities? Before God confused the languages of the people at Babel, which scattered them around the earth, they had already perverted pure worship. When they scattered they took with them the beliefs they held in common so therefore, though their forms of worship varied over time, they had certain common threads.

Answer 10

Similarities are due to the commonality of human nature, not some underlying reality in the beliefs.