Atheists- challenge me!?

Question

I'm just wondering.. if God doesn't exist and all religions are bogus, why have all these different types of religion endured over several hundred or thousands of years, and why are many of them thematically similar?

Answer 1

People needed answers and they were afraid of death.

People still need answers and they are still afraid of death.

There you go.

Answer 2

If all religions are thematically similar, then how do you know the one you are following is the correct one? How do you know which God to worship? Or maybe you think it doesn't matter, which would put you at odds with many Christians.

Just because many people believe in something doesn't make it correct. Remember, at one time people believed the world was flat and that certain persons were inferior because they had different-colored skin.

Answer 3

Religion started with the very earliest humanoids. It started in ignorance. The early people couldn't begin to understand the forces of nature, so they imagined unseen "gods" cause the lightning and thunder, the sun, rain and all the rest.
All living things, in order to protect themselves, fear death, otherwise life would cease. To escape death they came up with the "soul" idea. Some part of us don't actually die..
Some religions have this "soul" flying off to heaven for the rest of time. Some imagined that the "soul" leaves on body and is born again in some other animal, insect, bird, etc.
The reason for the similarities in some religions is because trade routes covered thousands of miles. Along with trade goods, stories, superstitions, beliefs, receipes,and just about everything else was exchanged.

Answer 4

Err...the fact that there are SO MANY only proves that man has a nearly limitless capacity to MAKE THEM UP.

And if you think they are all that similar, I would suggest that you look at them a little closer. Egyptian religion was very different than Roman religion, which is very different from the Eastern religions, which was very dfferent than African religion, and very differt than South American religions. There isn't really anything the same, except maybe an obsession with death.

The fact that some of them are somewhat similar reflects the fact that they came from similar cultures.

Answer 5

I think that religions have endured over time because most people are more likely to accept the beliefs of authority rather than thinking for themselves and because most people rather believe what they want to be true instead of what actually is. And I think religions are thematically similar because they are trying to deny with the finality and inevitability of death and the fact that there is no meaning to our existence beyond that which we make for ourselves.

Answer 6

Religion survives because it has an appealing message: Life after death, a definite purpose for everyone's existence, a deity who loves everyone, etc. Of course the fact that it's appealing has nothing to do with whether it's true or not, but that's the reason why it's continued for so long. Which would people want to believe in more: Nothingness after death, or paradise with the creator of the universe? Which would people want to believe in more: No particular meaning of life, or a definite meaning given to us by a supreme being?

Answer 7

Evolution, of course.

Read Daniel Dennett's "Breaking the Spell". It's largely for the same reason that so many animals have fur and sweat glands and autonomic nervous systems.

Example:
A religious system that didn't promise eternal rewards would have to deliver on real rewards, and if it did, we wouldn't refer to it as a religion, would we? If it didn't do either (real nor imaginary post-death rewards), it would die out due to a lack of adherents. Hence evolution easily explains the "eternal life in paradise" theme shared by many religions.

Similarly, people (and many other animals) have genetically developed certain cognitive biases such as the one that causes us to attribute events to intentionality. That is, we assume that movement is caused by some agent and become wary when we detect movement (just as deer do). We do that because prey animals that did not were more susceptible to predators than those that did. As a result, we have an evolution-endowed tendency to explain events by reference to the intentions of some agent, even when we cannot detect that agent. Hence the invisible God theme.

Answer 8

Fair question. Of course, religion is at it's core an explanation for the unknown (a general belief that unseen things happen). Besides that, it is used to uphold morality. That's all religions have in common.

Is the variety of religions evidence that none are correct or inspired by truth?

Answer 9

you are already challenging yourself without us interfering.

War. That's the #1 reason. Crusades, French Wars of Religion, Holy War and Jihad, Reconquista, Christopher Columbus and the rest of the catholic bunch massacring native americans, and the list goes on. They "taught" religion and made people fear it.

The number two reason is tradition, and no one can fight that. If we are born in a certain environment where the family core revolves around a certain belief, we're more likely to follow and believe in it.

The third reason is linked to the first: fear. People fear death, and fear evil, and fear mystery and fear the unknown. Fear makes us believe. Especially if "believing" brings wonderful gifts like eternal life and happiness.

Answer 10

Because humans, as social animals, have a need for social order. Since humans, and their need for social order, are "thematically similar" religions tend to be similar.

Answer 11

christianity is derived from judaism - of course they would be similar. Same thing with islam.

Some religions have zero gods, some one, some two, and some many many more - and they differ in many fundamental aspects.

Religions endure because of tradition, and because they're self-propagating memes.

Take christianity - if you were to accept it, you would accept a god that is going to torture your friends and family - unless you convince them to become christian too.