Karl Marx once said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses", this making religion a controlled substance which free practicing citizens feed off of. Religion gives people a back bone; it instills a feeling of comfort knowing that because of religion, people will not sin, or people will be good to others. Yet if religion makes people good and respectful why do people all over the world feel necessary to kill for their respective god or goddess. There are six thousand five hundred religions in the world today. And many wonder why so much religion based terror acts occur on a daily basis. It is because of the vast number of religions why we live each day in fear. It's the people who feel their religion is superior, and feel the need to use violence to prove their point. In today's society how did the world as whole derive so many religions? For the most part starting a new religion is not too difficult. All one needs is a new belief and followers. Take for example the development of Christianity. .
Christianity was started by Jesus of Nazareth, a Jew, who like many others was unhappy with the beliefs of Judaism. Christians were called so because of Jesus" title Christos, which is Greek for Messiah. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem, and grew up in the town of Nazareth. Contrary to its late rising, the new religion slowly caught on. Paul of Tarsus was considered the most important religious leader in the developing and spreading of Christian beliefs, although the religions messiah is considered to be Jesus. The Roman governor took Jesus into his control and Pontius Pilate demanded his crucifixion, because Pilate feared Jesus may start an uprising. However, a number of devoted followers were able to spread the story of Jesus. They pronounced that Jesus had overcome death, been resurrected and rose into Heaven. Still after Jesus was crucified, Paul of Tarsus wrote letters and epistles which preached that Christianity was for all people.