Why Are There So Many Different Religions?

Have you ever wondered why there are so many religions in the world? I frequently hear that number being estimated at over 4000. Over 4000 religions in the world today! Have you ever thought about why there are so many?

The answer to this question will take some unpacking, so bear with me and think about the following for a moment… Objective beauty is something that, as an object, is beautiful. It is not just beautiful to the subject (or, to the observer), but is something that is beautiful in and of itself. Objective beauty is something nearly all subjects find beautiful because the object itself is beautiful. It does not need subjects to confirm its beauty in order for it to be beautiful.

1. If objective beauty exists, then God exists.

2. Objective beauty exists.

3. Therefore, God exists.

If there is anything at all (even if it is only one thing) that is objectively beautiful, then objective beauty exists. If there are things in the universe that are objectively beautiful, then there must something that transcends[1] the universe in order for the universe to contain objective beauty.[2] Think about the night sky, for instance. Do you know anyone who would say that a clear, night sky is not (objectively) beautiful? Do you know anyone who would not be awestruck at looking through the Hubble telescope? The night sky with all the stars, planets, comets, nebulas, galaxies, etc., is objectively beautiful. If you or someone you know would deny that the night sky is objectively beautiful, then perhaps you should observe it where there is little to no light pollution and then re-evaluate.

To get a better idea, it seems like the concept of objective beauty can be better understood by having a larger metaphysical picture; by observing something else from the perspective of transcendence: Objective moral values. Because there are objective moral values (e.g., it is always wrong in every time period and in every culture to torture babies for entertainment), there must be something that transcends all cultures and subjects from where these objective moral values come. Similarly with objective beauty, there must be something that transcends all cultures and people from where this objective beauty comes.

Now with all of this in mind, onto the question initially posed above, I submit to you that the reason there are so many religions is because…

Salvation Is Objectively Beautiful

Over four thousand different religions seek to save someone from something. Religion can itself be difficult to define. It seems that there are several aspects from which someone can define a religion. Winfried Corduan defines religion as a “system of beliefs and practices that directs a person toward transcendence and this provides meaning and coherence to a person’s life.”[3] Corduan goes on to say that “this definition may still need refining.”[4] I must agree with this. From another perspective, perhaps anthropologically speaking, it seems that all religions are systems which seek to eradicate guilt (to save someone from guilt!).[5] Perhaps this is a vehicle through which one discovers meaning. This definition comes from observing the similarities between numerous religions. In a sense, the term is in existence because of the evidence. The collection of world religions seeking to eradicate guilt naturally produces a need for such a definition. When observing the similarities across the religion board, a pattern that will continually arise is that religions teach a person how to be saved from guilt.

Another perspective of defining religion is that all religions seem to save people from something aside from guilt. Buddhism, for instance, seeks to save a person from suffering. Mormonism seeks to save a person from to the terrestrial heaven and even on to better levels of heaven. Jehovah’s Witnesses seek to save a person from annihilation. Post-modernism seeks to save people from insignificance. Even Atheism masquerades as something noble in seeking to save people from ignorance or false beliefs.

With all this in mind, that a religion both reaches beyond the current plane of existence and that a religion seeks to eradicate guilt and something even beyond guilt, it would seem that to those who perceive guilt, failure, suffering, falsehoods, or future demise, in their lives, or the lives of others, that salvation from any of these negative outcomes is objectively beautiful. Since there are so many religions, this testifies to the beauty of salvation in many forms.

This is not to say that all of these things lead to salvation, or that they are correct paths. Quite the contrary. Because all religions by their sheer existence claim exclusivity, there can only be one correct religion. The reason there are so many religions is because people are starving for salvation.

Not to lump this together with what we just discussed, but Jesus saves a person from his sin and saves him to eternal life. Not only does the Christian not experience the wrath of God, but he also is gifted with eternal life. A person is saved from his sins and death to righteousness and eternal life. Christianity, from the human perspective, recognizes the objective beauty of salvation as well.

Other Examples of Objective Beauty in Salvation

Not only in religion do we find that salvation is objectively beautiful. When a mother cancels her abortion appointment after hearing her daughter’s heartbeat, this salvation is objectively beautiful. This also happens quite frequently. Similarly, with Option Ultrasounds… We simply find salvation to be objectively beautiful.

When someone is saved from certain death from an accident one finds this objectively beautiful. Think about all the Marvel movies that portray heroes saving the world. Is it solely entertainment? It seems that Avenger’s Endgame grossing over two billion dollars is evidence that salvation is objectively beautiful. Honestly, every story that contains salvation of sorts in it appeals to the human desire to recognize the objective beauty of salvation.

Application

As stated above, If there is anything at all (even if it is only one thing) that is objectively beautiful, then objective beauty exists. If there are things in the universe that are objectively beautiful, then there must something that transcends the universe in order for the universe to contain objective beauty.

When an atheist, naturalist, or Darwinist gets blue in the face arguing with you about something, it is because they find something to be objectively beautiful, and they want to save you or others.[6] Frequently, what atheists indirectly find to be objectively beautiful is truth (why are they so attracted to what they think is true?). The heated arguments are there because truth itself is objectively beautiful (ask just about any philosopher), and he wants to save you (and others) from ignorance. In other words, atheists recognize the objective beauty of salvation because otherwise they would not mention anything at all. They would not defend what they believe to be true if they did not indirectly recognize the objective beauty of salvation.

An atheist cannot argue that they do not find truth to be objectively beautiful. By doing so, they are arguing that truth itself is in fact objectively beautiful (otherwise why are they arguing). By not arguing against such, they are agreeing that the truth is objectively beautiful. In either case, an atheist recognizes that truth is objectively beautiful. If anything is said about truth, then… the motivation behind such is to save. Salvation is objectively beautiful, which is why there are so many religions.

[1] To transcend something is to be beyond the limits or range of something else.

[2] This would be true even if the multiverse theory was a reality.

[3] Corduan, Winfried. Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions (InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, 2012), 27.

[4] Ibid.

[5] It seems that a good argument for the existence of God can also be made from the existence of guilt. For instance, you know that guilt exists because you have most likely experienced it. Because guilt exists, we know that morals exist. Morals exist because God exists. (The law of morals exists because there is a lawgiver).

[6] This is a common argument from atheists and such as to why they care to speak up against Christianity

Comments

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