I want to know why we have different religions. Where, how and why they were started. What the differences are. I would like to find a book that will explain this to me. Any ideas? I should start reading the bible.
Good luck. Each of those books is written from one bias or other and sometimes we just have to read them all ourselves and make up our own minds. It's alot of work though and ppl that dooo that are usually called doctors of religious philosophy.
I think we have different religions because different things make sense to different groups due to geographical situation at the conception of the group and pending where in time and sequence of what came before the new notes on the immediate conceiving culture's needs and interperatation of what the current issues are relative to what they've read heard or understood to what's being trying to be said by other groups prior.
There are definately historical consistencies from group to group and one's relious books or guides or whathaveyou might have slightly different information - either additions or ommissions , from another group but the general most consistent submission seems to be along the lines of the old testament's Moses movement out of Eygpt. It iis an accepted fact that Eygpt is the oldest country holding the oldest surviving civilisation .. but then Africa, which is directly under Egypt seems to have half a claim themselves...the next big time insertion place seeming to be the middle east and then India and china from there, China being the official second oldest nation and civilisation at 5000 yrs old, in the way of hinduism / confucism/ taoism and buddhism...remembering that the yr is currently 2007 being 2007 yrs after the birth of Jesus.
i personally don't think it's really fair to say that ppl have a fair perspective on the whole story until they haave read versions of and stories from different relgion's belief systems to compare notes and see what " truths " or stories correlate with what ever they have prior.
For example , muslims and many middle eastern religions with the tora and the koran , also support the contention that it all started with a civilisation in that corner of the world that moved it's way eastward and dropped off along the way in groups and so became various civilations and nations and cultures off that thereafter. There are also anthrolopoloical findings that suggest their were origins Coming out of the nordic regions.. being the blonde and blue eyed contingent of the race.
It's really hard to keep an open mind and read throuugh book upon book of so many long winded sometimes heady stories, but for myself, who stiill can't say i've read them all, i don't think it's fair for me to even try to have an opinion and sell it unless i approach it that way and with it in mind that they are alll talking about love and easing wordly burdens through comfort in a theory on what does or doesn't happen next ....that at the core they're all talking of love and death ..and in some cases birth and suggestions how to most satifying live why, in somme shape or form and regardless of how it's written, even the satanic bible with it's immediate gratification ideas and scientology concepts of the detailed journey theyy are offering, and freemasonry and alll these cults around the world even that are relgions of their own right, but imo the trick is hearing the pysychology they're viewing love with.. and if it's not saying love, even when they're not saying love, i don't think we 're reading it right.
no idea if that means anything to you or helps your question any, but it's quite cool to explore different groups souls on it by investigating what they're actually on about , or at least with the variety of ppl I personally 've encountered belived different things whom I've wanted to understand or help I have found it quite cool and interesting at times, and when you can match it with expand on things like Darwinist theories and historical accounts of census records and otherr historical facts, including native tribal accounts and beliefs - being they are also a religion of their own tribalism and so forth it really helps to clarify some of what it is you can legitimately consider a reasonable enough fact and what interperetations are consistent to those things.
There are soo so many relgions and books but having travelled through China myself for four yrs off and on studying eastern belief systems .. for a ph.d. which never actually happened, I highly recommend that if you arre interested just pick one - like maybe something from a group with an old testament and something from a more non-western popularised orthordox system and just start reading... and dont be shy to explore history books to see if there's anything to support to what's being said.
Exploring one's own personal spiritualism is a life long journey so just dont expect to understand immediately. Be patient be reasonable, be generous and tolerant when you don't quite get what they're on about yet and enjoy your journey with it
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Funny question to find on this board but i hope that helps you out.
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Blooming tianshi lotus.
