Why are there so many religions?
​What happens when we die?
Religions and the afterlife
Monotheistic faiths like Islam and Christianity believe in only one God, while polytheistic religions like Hinduism believe in multiple gods. Religions, such as Buddhism, do not believe in any god but instead follow the teachings of Buddha. The pie chart below illustrates the umbrella faiths, which include more than 4,000 different religious practices today. Despite the number of religious traditions, many are closely linked and, in some cases, even follow the same scriptures. Since not all of them can be true, we examine the most widely practised faiths, their doctrines, and their perspectives on the afterlife in an effort to assist you in determining if any could be the truth. Links to specific religious websites have been included should you wish to learn more about different religious practices.
​World Religious Populations
Sources: Desert News, World Methodist Council, New World Encyclopedia, Roots Moravian Church, Pew Research Center, Mennonite World Conference, Lutheran World Federation, The Atlas of Religion, Global Ministries, World Religion Database, Buddah Net, Jewish Virtual Library, Bahai World News Service.
​Overview
Based on the most widely recognised scientific theory, Earth was formed 4.6 billion years ago when gases and dust combined around a young sun. Gravity drew our planet together, causing it to grow larger as dust and asteroids clashed. Our planet changed over time, gaining water and an atmosphere. The nineteenth-century "theory of evolution by natural selection", put forward by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace, suggests that life began as a marine microorganism and developed over millions of years into the diverse species that exist today. Although Charles Darwin did acknowledge the origin of life itself was beyond the science of his era, it still remains unexplainable today.
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The majority of religions maintain that a God created the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars, as well as all other planets in the universe and all living creatures, including mankind. Christianity believes a God created everything around 4000 BCE, making the earth around 6000 years old, despite the fact fossils are dated millions of years old by modern dating methods. If a creator God made the universe, it would be a miracle rather than a scientific process, meaning normal scientific laws would not apply when Earth's rocks were first formed. This would inevitably alter the behaviour and consistency of radioactive isotopes used in radiometric dating. Furthermore, a global flood event would introduce catastrophic environmental variables capable of invalidating alternative dating methodologies. There is no doubt that dinosaurs did exist, and in fact, many believe they are described as “beasts of the earth” in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. While the Bible is not a science book, its historical narratives have led people of faith to form conclusions regarding the timeline of the Earth. However, because the Bible does not explicitly state a date of creation, these conclusions also rest on assumptions. For many, the key is belief in a creator God rather than relying on scientific evidence to confirm their faith.
