Religion: a form of control or REAL?

I always used to get in trouble in school ( catholic school K-12)for questioning what the teachers had to say about relgion. I would question, the sequence that historical content everything. There answer 'faith u have to have faith in god' or 'its a symbolic story' If religion is a symbolic story then why do people take it so seriuosly? Religion to me is something that was created to give humans a sense of stability, something to rely on when there is trouble, something to praise when there is joy. One thing i dont get is why people are so stuck on whose religion is correct. Does it matter? in the end everyone is praising the same thing, but with different names and forms. Religion was created by man, therefore, religion is not real at all in my mind If you wanna ask if the characters in this story are real, maybe my answer would be different. side comment: As a Haitian i always get so u practice voodoo. Many people dont know that what we see vodou as, is actaully how white people portray it to us in movies and books. It is a relgion, it has holidays, it has its dark side ... same as ne religion.

I would like to disagree with the theory that we are all worshipping the same God. From a Christian point of view, our God is not the author of confusion *so says the Bible* so if we were all worshipping the same God with or without doctrination, this discussion would not even be relevent. There would be no need to ask if He exists or even if there will be a punsihment for NOT believing in Him. But I will ask this from a general standpoint. If we all are worshipping the same God in different forms, then why in Hinduism they do not go to heaven or hell but have a belief in reincarnation and why do Christians believe in everlasting torment in the bowls of Hell? Additionally, why do some religions believe in redemption by punishment and ancestor worship and some believe that hell exist, but is different for each individual person? I have a friend that believes that only Mormons go to celestial heaven (The top heaven where they gain God's powers and are able to make their own world and people) that good people go to another heaven and the bad people go to purgatory. The people in top can travel within worlds. I know someone who believes that when all is said and done, that Moses and the rest of the people in the Bible will inhabit earth and that we will show them how to use computers and drive cars, but they don't believe that they will inhabit God's powers. She also believes that only Jehovah's witnesses will enter heaven. How can they both believe that their group of people will only enter the same place at the same time and both these messages come from the same God? I beg to differ. And 'god' is a general term, that is why we were given the name Jesus (Greco - Roman) in the New Testament. That is why in the old testament God denounced the worship of Baal (their supreme god) by sending fire from heaven. If they were worshipping the same God as that prophet, they would not have been reprimanded by death. A house divded will not stand. Yes, I do understand that the Catholic church has pretty much screwed up everything (NOT by the catholic BELIEVERS, BUT THE ONES WHO TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO CHANGE THE BIBLE AND CALL THEMSELVES THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE ON EARTH) and that the true message of Chirstianity has been tainted by man, but I also believe that religion is a set of rules, a belief is what you have faith in. Religions have been used to hold people back. But only because they were not able to search and read for themselves. People are in situations but they say 'well I guess I am supposed be miserable for the rest of my life because I have to be passive and submissive because that is what my church or mosque or temple or whatever says.' That is because many don't question their beliefs or have a reason for them. I have faith in Jesus Christ, as a result of my own search for religion and experiences not because of what someone told me. I encourage everyone to find their own reason for the faith they have and not just settle.** I am not by any means 'condemening you to hell' so to speak. I am just sharing a portion of my opinion. **Disclaimer**

Shalom to all, Religion is of course is the form of control that this society uses to control it's people however what's real is walking in the faith. Hebrewwoman