The Problem with Religion

It is said that the winners of any conflict write history to say what the winner wants it to reflect. True as that may be, history is also written by those who were disenfranchised, disheartened, persecuted or victimized, hatemongers, the mentally ill, and by those who only wanted to express their own personal views, even if that view was a "my way is the only right way" regardless of the political or religious fever at the time. Did this happen with the Bible itself?

The Old Testament probably began as an oral history although there are those who believe Moses wrote the first biblical text in the current written form of the Hebrew language of that time. The New Testament section of the Bible (as we know it today) was written by men beginning approximately 2000 years ago with most of the books written in the common every day form of the Greek language. Some religions claim that God inspired these men and thus what they wrote is considered "divine". Regardless, each and every one of those forty "authors" of the Bible were simply flesh and blood human beings, in spite of of what or who inspired them to write.

Because of their written words and those of any other religion, it seems that countless people have questions regarding religion and the basis and impact of Christianity on their lives. One of the biggest questions asked concerns whether God exists - and if he does or does not, how does it matter? With those who believe they have been "touched by God", how do they prove it and what kind of proof tendered would be considered valid - above and beyond simple faith that they were indeed assisted by a higher spiritual authority? Other questions abound on whether God is male - or is she female? What "proof" exists other than the Bible which alludes to differences between worshipping a single god versus multiple gods, and that the Christian God is the only true God?

Why does the Bible list God under various names and titles, other than perhaps by someone who simply needed to get across his or her own point of view or even a specific agenda? Was there one God who labored under all those names or was there multiple god figures used to cover all the foibles of humanity? Why do some believe the Bible to be a literal historical book while others view it as an allegorical, symbolic, and metaphorical litany of parables and filled with stories of love, hate, war, peace, sex, truth and lies?

When was the Earth made? When did man first appear? According to many, Adam was the first man and he lived approximately 6000 years ago. Yet, according to experts citing both religious and scientific research of other religions and through archeology, they state that humanity have been in existence for tens of thousands of years. Does that mean one group is lying or that another group is just inflating the number of years without any real, measurable proof - or are both groups mistaken? In addition, if the proof is measurable, how does that relate to those who believe the Earth and its people are young in terms of time?

Even so, what is the true oldest religion? Is it animism or any of the other so-called "pagan" religions? It certainly is not Christianity since it only came into existence with the teachings accorded to a man named Jesus and its origins began around 30 C.E, while Islam, another relatively recent religion was formed around 610 C.E. Other religious experts believe Hinduism is the oldest organized religion, dating back to 1500 B.C. and, if so, does this mean Hinduism is considered a "pagan" religion?

If the Christian God created humankind, why did animism or paganistic types of religions exist in the first place? Would not Christianity have been first and foremost the original religion since the Christian Bible claims that Cain and Abel both made sacrifices to their God and it is considered the ultimate Christian text? Could it possibly be due to humans eventually developing the notion of "one god" while at the same time combining both Christian and Pagan ceremonies and rituals - just as many other groups did purely for the sake of simplicity and unification of several groups who existed together?

Therefore, how does one know they are a member of the only true religion? With approximately 4,200 different religions, does every religion today worship the same God or are there differences that show these gods are different entities. Which God is then the primary God or do they all share the title equally? If you belong to a religion that the majority (or those in power) hold to be the one true religion, does that mean your beliefs are meaningless?

I know I do not have the answers and that my personal beliefs are based in what I was taught, my environmental and religious background, and my singular views on the totality. At the same time, I am certain that others would be quick to say they can teach me "the truth". At least, they would assuredly teach me their particular version of the truth.

Sources:
Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents, Adherents.com, August 9 2007
In what language was the Bible first written?, Biblica, Dec 28, 2009
Which Are the Oldest Religions in the World?, by Diana Bocco, 23 December 2009