Egyptian polytheism +local Canaanite customs +Zoroastrism =Judaism
((Hinduism – caste system) + Ancient Indian folk medicine and philosophy) + Late Classical Greek Philosophy = Buddhism
((Messianic Judaism +Buddhism) *Classical Greek Philosophy)Roman Political Organization = Christianity
(Ancient Arabian Legends + Christian evangelism + Judaism)*Nomad Culture = Islam
(Islamic Prophetic Authority +Christianity)American Exceptionalism = Mormonism
(Poorly written 1950’s style pulp science fiction + Cult of Personality + pseudoscience) * Islamic-like Prophetic Authority = Scientology
Of course the whole point of these statements would be that no religion is truly original. Even the Neanderthals had some sort of religion. Religion is demonstrably less the result divine inspiration than the barrowing and blending of preceding mytho-philosophical systems with modern (at the time) thought.
Like Christopher Hitchens said, Mormonism is just Scientology plus 180 years. But then again, Islam is just Christianity plus 650 years. They are all equally…unlikely.
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