Several religions have been created during the development of different cultures. In some cases the religion of certain people is determined by the geographic area, while in other cases people are born into a religious group and therefore these people live their lives according to the teachings of that religion. Freedom of religion, by contrast, means that everyone has free will to decide which religious group or cult they would like to belong to.
The most important similarities
Religions around the world were created with the aim of helping people to understand or explain such things and phenomenon that otherwise would be inexplicable. The followers of various religions generally believe in supernatural forces - creatures that are untouchable by mortal beings - who sometimes appear before the eyes of mortals in order to prove their existence. The followers of a religion usually assign a place to gather from time to time, in order to practise their religion.
The church or temple in a community is the place where the believers can get together to practise their rituals, where they can be closer to their God/s and saints, and this place has an important place in their lives. Generally they have one or more leaders who control their community in a hierarchical system. The ethically advanced religions always strive for perfection in their lifestyles and actions. Their main purpose is to reach divine perfection and to make sure that happiness and prosperity follow them in their lives after death by virtue of the conduct of their lives while on earth.
In the case of most religions (under different names) sacred texts can be found which contain the foundations of that religion, the duties of the believers, and the expectations of their God/s.
The purpose of religions today
Only man, among all the other creatures of the earth, has the capability (from a very early age) to understand and comprehend that our existen