So many religions

We all know that there are millions different religions, but which one is right? When it's judgement day which religion will GOD accept as the correct one, and can anyone explain why there are so many religions in the first place? Which religion was first?

This could start an interesting discussion

Everyone who claims a religion as their own would (depending on their level of zealotry) tell you that theirs is correct.

But as for your questions:

Who's to say there will even be a "judgement day." (I don't personally think there will be...)

Which "GOD" are you assuming will be the one passing judgement? Maybe there IS no god.

I came across an intersting quote (does anyone know the originator?):

"We are both athiests. I just believe in one less god than you do. If you can explain why you have rejected everyone else's gods, I''ll explain why I have rejected yours." (I used it on a bible-thumping friend...got the old "deer in the headlights" look! )

Originally posted by Ruffy
We all know that there are millions different religions, but which one is right? When it's judgement day which religion will GOD accept as the correct one, and can anyone explain why there are so many religions in the first place? Which religion was first?

Because to describe God is such a daunting task, and when someone finds God, they find God in so many places its overwhelming... Because God is what "is"... it is the clap, or the clash of the gong, or you blinking, its difficult to explain...
Time is continuous, it is eternal and never ending... the present never ends... God never dies.... People are mixed up in the symbolism that time gives us, the symbol of the sun for daylight.... I know it may sound silly, but the sun that rises in the morning is the SAME sun that "disappeared"... its unchanging, its the same one people worshipped for a lack of understanding, One thing we are forgetting about the bible and perhaps the one signifigant part is that it was written over a multitude of years... Which shows in essence time is irrelevant... it is the one thing we use to kill ourselves.. Our mind is more powerful than we give it credit.... Remember where our planet is.. IN SPACE.... there are no laws in space....

Well, I asked this question a while ago and my thread got moved to below top secret... hmmph

But to answer you question, if you really need to know which is the right religion to follow for salvation then it is.. what I believe of course!!!

Ok, I might be a mad prophet but this is my observation.

There are some common themes of most 'beliefs'

1. Worship an all powerful God
2. Worship a lot of semi powerful gods.
3. We are all Gods. Worship ourselves
4. God is found in nature. Worship nature (can tie in with point 2)
5. Follow in the foot steps of a wise man that claims to have reached salvation
6. There is no God or salvation.

If you have more that I have missed out on then feel free to correct me.

I will work backwards in the order.

6. As this is not really a religion (anti religion) we will skip it. It is however a believe structure and still requires faith that there is no God.

5. I have heard of some new age sects (and seen some on tv) where people decide to kill themselves because they were told to by a so called spiritual leader. This is a bit freaky. I would have to say that following a man who claims to have reached salvation is a bit scary. Why not simply reach salvation for yourself??

I know that people will say that Christ could fit this category but for the purpose of this argument will will assume the Bible is right and Christ is part of the trinity i.e. GOD.

4. People, expecially in ancient times, worshiped trees, frogs, cows or whatever as these natural things represented different aspects of God. This also could be a legitimate form of worship. The problem is, what happens for instance if chickens are sacred and is are elements of God, then there is a serious case of bird flu and they are all destroyed. This element of God has been removed and God is now less powerful. Can that impact on your ability to reach salvation?

3. God could be found in ourselves. We can do what we want and we can also reach enlightment (salvation) simply by learning to meditate and tune into our own spiritual self. This theory to me sounds a bit strange as then there is still no absolute truth as everone is different. Most people arent even aware they could be Gods, thus salvation is not obtained by the majority. What happens to those that can not find self enlightenment?

2. Egyptians believed there were many Gods. A little like the nature Gods. Ra, sun etc. Greeks believed in many Gods as did the romans. Where did the story of these Gods come from? Are they only man made stories? What message of salvation do they offer?

1. Many different religions claim that there is only one God. There are different interpretations of who this God is and how he can save you.

I sort of ran out of wind towards the end but would love for people to fill in the blanks and tell me what they believe in regards to the options above!

Well i may as well throw in my two cents.

First off which religions is right? None of them. If there is a all powerful being that created all that we know, and has not made any sort of "legitimate" contact with us, then how could any religion be right? So if there is a omnipotent being out there, "it" is not what any human who has ever lived thought "it" was. That was just to clear up that.
Anyhow, i do not try to condem anyones belief i just do condem any sort of organised mind controling religion. I would have to say i am a mixture of 2 of the sort of beliefs mentioned in the previous post, I believe in myself and i believe in nature. As these two are the only things i know exist, and no i do not worship any sort of specific animal, as u stated with chickens. Its jsut a overall belief that mother nature is where we came from, and we should respect it and live one with it not agaisnt it. Humans have a mind set that we are opposite to the world, man vs the world. This is a very delusional view as we live on this world, and this world created us. How can we disrespect our mother by #ting on her everyday. (pollution)
Any finaly, if u believe in science, big bang theory, and theory of evolution. Then i think a person should believe in themselves. We are made up from the big bang, we are made up of matter, we are the stars. People should stop looking up for a god, and start looking inside themselves.
Sorry if i didnt go into enough detail about beleiving in ones self, if anyone else is intrested jsut let me know.

Hope my 2 cents wasnt to much haha

The idea of God was created by tribal elders as a control mechanism.

With the decline of the church, alternative mediums are required, but the same results acheived.

Fear has always been the underlying reason people will follow, keep them frightened and they will do anything as long as you claim to keep them safe, even when there is no threat.

Anyone listening? .... You can't find God in people places or things....... concepts of God are just that.... Explain God by what happens.. because it happened unjudged and you can physically see it, therefore it is God or was the happening of God, God is inside us because we are a happening constantly a happening, we are the present all the time..... I just run in circles trying to explain this.. anyone get it?

Originally posted by dnero6911
Anyone listening? .... You can't find God in people places or things....... concepts of God are just that.... Explain God by what happens.. because it happened unjudged and you can physically see it, therefore it is God or was the happening of God, God is inside us because we are a happening constantly a happening, we are the present all the time..... I just run in circles trying to explain this.. anyone get it?

God is defined by the individual, and those that can't, go to church.