How all religion is created - for Jew and Gentile
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From the time the true knowledge and relationship of God had been lost, every culture and civilization in all human history no matter how old or new, has developed some form of religious practice in order to try and satisfy the elusive vacuum in the human soul crying out for reason, purpose and significance. All religions are the result of mankind’s search and communication with the Supreme Being.
All religions are caused by 3 mechanisms. The mechanisms are 3 and the same only appearing under different names.
These mechanisms occur:
1. Through the observance of nature
2. Through a founder
3. Through subdivision
Lets examine each one in turn:
Mechanism 1 -
Through the observance of natural events: By being exposed to the qualities of God through His Creation, mankind developed some understanding of the ways of God and applied this to a form of worship, resulting in all nature religions and mythologies. This is especially the case in cultures or civilizations where no formal religion was introduced, resulting in the worship of nature gods.
This mechanism is based on the following pattern:
The religion /mythology/or philosophy is derived from the human imagination, the human imagination is derived from observing the facts of nature, and the facts of nature are derived from her creator GOD.
This mechanism is repeated in all cultures throughout history only appearing under the guise of different names. Here are a few examples.
The Greek god of the sea was Poseidon. The Roman equivalent was Neptune. The Egyptians had Yam whilst the Hindus had Varuna. Likewise different names of gods were applied for different purposes. Despite the many gods they worshipped, they all had the ability to reason that some other god had to be “supreme and ruler” over all the other gods. Hence a Zeus, a Jupiter, an Amun or a Brahman.
All belief systems resulting from this first mechanism reinforce what God has already put in nature. The belief patterns of such religions are in nature because they were there first in God-The Creator. There are many patterns in nature that display the invisible and eternal power of God.
Mechanism 2) Through a founder: This second mechanism initiates religions whether historic or new.
a)Someone (usually the founder) claims to have received a “divine revelation” or a visitation by a “majestic being” like an (‘angel’) and claims they were commanded to recite, or write down what they’ve heard or seen and pass on these visions, teachings or messages, thus initiating a religion. E,g Muhammed was the founder of Islam , Joseph Smith of Mormonism and Israel ben Eliezar founded Hasidic Judaism.
3) Through subdivisionThis happens through one or a combination of the following ways.
a. Through the divergence, branching off, breaking away or rebellion from an existing religion usually due to disagreement or disproval over doctrine, or, “new revelation”. For example Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism have all branched off from Hinduism. As a result of this mechanism, we also have today the main branches of Judaism, namely, Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist, which all branched off from the Pharisee movement.
b. Through the combining, mingling, or blending of existing religions to develop a new one. For e.g. Sikhism combines elements of Hinduism with Islam. Conservative Judaism is a mixture of Reform and Orthodox.
c. Further splits can occur within mechanism i and ii resulting into even smaller sects or denominations. For example Reconstructionist Judaism began as a liberal movement within conservative Judaism and then formally separated. Classical reform Judaism, humanistic Judaism, Neolog Judaism , Jewish renewal, and Jewish science are other examples of further splits from previous sects.
d. Through a revival of older religions under new names. Many so called “new” religions are in fact old, only masquerading under a new name.
Eg kabbalah is just another form of Greek Gnosticism at a later date as both groups believed that only a select few were given deeper understanding or knowledge.
Also all religions, mythologies, belief systems etc… display mans ability to reason so that in the formation of any religion, one needs to have knowledge and understanding on:
a) The nature of God (thus resulting in Monotheism, polytheism, henotheism and all the other ….isms ).
b) The way of salvation which evidently shows that man understands he has need of this.
c) The way in which one comes to the knowledge of God.
d) Eternity and the afterlife.
e) Morality.
It is these components that produce doctrine in any religion. And the fact that religions differ in the way of these components, shows the contradictory nature between religions because man is subject to deception, delusion, wickedness and misinterpretation. Therefore, the true way to God cannot be initiated by man but only by God.
As a result of the above 3 mechanisms, we now have the thousands of religions that exist around the world today. Once these 3 mechanisms are understood, one doesn’t need to study the world’s religions in order to seek truth, since the mechanisms are 3 and the same and are repeated in all cultures throughout human history only under the guise of different names.
The true knowledge of God was given through the Judeo -Christian faith, however when the Kingdom of God isn't understood as God intended through His Holy Word, then adherents of these 2 religions subject themselves to just another religion and not the Kingdom - hence the many denominations that exist even within these 2 religious groups.
Topic: How all religion is created - for Jew and Gentile (Read 4687 times)