Christianity was not the first religion on Earth. Why did God wait so long to start a religion?

Question

Even the so called "Old Testament" was a collection of stories from other older relgions. The names were changed,but many of the ongoing traditions and celebrations were kept the same.

The Koran is much older than the Bible.

Answer 1

Good question! Humanity has been developing religions for at least 30 thousand years, why wait until around 3 thousand year ago to "choose" a people and then 2 thousand years ago to reveal the "divine plan"?

Edit:
My first statement of 3000 years was way wrong, the first documented religion was 35, 000 years ago. Hebrew civilization did not appear until around 3300 years ago.

Answer 2

To us, a couple of thousand years is a long time. Not to God though. To God, "a thousand years is as a day" (2 Peter).

Also, religion is something that mankind carries on - yes, it's inspired by God, but it's man's attempt to know and understand God.

Christ's Church here on earth is the culmination and fulfillment of many centuries of prophecy. Read Matthew's Gospel in the New Testament. His Gospel, more than any other, lists many of the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Christs earthly ministry, death, and resurrection.

Answer 3

Christianity is an evolved form of Judaism. According to the writings of Moses, the first 2 humans on earth were good friends with God, even after they messed up and weren't good enough to live in Eden.

Religion is a human-made formula to live life (it can be simple or complex and doesn't have to include a deity or deities) which has followers that have formed an organization based the their beliefs about that formula. Yahoo is not a religion but does provide a format upon which believers in the all-mighty computer can commune.

Answer 4

Pantagru, if you trace all religions back to their origins, you will find they all started from the same thread. When men squabble they divide and start their own "branch." For example. Martin Luther was a catholic priest until he decided something was rotten in Denmark. It was after his death that his followers started calling themselves Lutherans. Now take a look at how many branches there are in the Lutheran doctrine. Oh, by the way, the same stories in the bible can be found in the Koran.

Answer 5

Awareness of God developed in line with humanities development, and later religions constitute an important part of developing healthy societies. Humanity has a reached a point now of individual education, health and awareness where it should enter an age of advanced spiritual practise and less of social guidance - which is being replaced by governments.

God isnt a person, so he didnt start any religion, people developed an awareness within the context of there life and it was the first platform of intelligence that defined humanity in its infancy... its a shame humanity is still an adolescant still though.

Answer 6

Most people know that Christianity came from Judaism, and Judaism was one of the monotheistic religions that co-existed with the polytheistic religions of that time. Those were proceeded by Egyptian, and Babylonian, and Indian.. You might say modern religions are a result of the evolution of former religions.

Answer 7

The Gospel we hear these days is the Pauline Gospel and is nothing at all like the original.

The Kingdom Gospel (the one Jesus actually taught) was not a new religion...

This resource will explain the difference between the Original Gospel and what we hear today. The difference is quite significant.

Answer 8

Always, there is some religion on the earth; The religions are established by God according to the mentality of the people of particular times and climes.

Answer 9

my argument is easy ... every time and era had its differences ...

do you think that if GOD has released the bible or the quran earlier ...would have people accepted it or understood it or believed in it .... GOD knows best ....

in islam we consider that all (the Towrah - the bible and the Quran) are completeing each other ...

the 2nd page of our Quran says:

[2:2] This scripture is infallible; a beacon for the righteous;

[2:3] who believe in the unseen, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them, they give to charity.

[2:4] And they believe in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed before you, and with regard to the Hereafter, they are absolutely certain.

[2:5] These are guided by their Lord; these are the winners.



AND ALSO:

[2:136] Say, "We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters."



[2:53] Recall that we gave Moses scripture and the statute book, that you may be guided.

[21:48] We gave Moses and Aaron the Statute Book, a beacon, and a reminder for the righteous

[26:196] It has been prophesied in the books of previous generations.

Answer 10

I think it was less God starting it and more people starting it.

The Old Testament dates back to some early times, but not as early as other religions.

You'd have to ask the writers of all the books why they chose to write then, and not earlier. For one, they weren't alive earlier. For anoter, Jesus wasn't born yet, so anyone waiting for the massiah at the time would have been Jewish.