This began as a response to a post by fellow Steemian @jeffberwick. It quickly became a post in and of itself. The post in question can be found here:
This is my reply:
@jeffberwick said: "But, why?" is my most asked question in response to a statement."
A. Q. E. (Always Question Everything). That's my rule #1. I never even considered anything outside of my own little bubble of hogwash until I was 24. Long story short, I'm 44 now, and I totally get what you're saying. I can also say from experience that your philosophies are not unique. They stem from a general lack of understanding about what 'religion' actually is. This lack of understanding, or more accurately in a time where instant access to all the knowledge in the world is right there in our pockets, culpable ignorance has reached epidemic proportions. The reason is like you say; people can't seem to be bothered to consider opposing viewpoints. When one presents itself we approach dialog as a fight to be won, rather than perspective to be gained. The worst part is, I've found that the most outspoken among us seem to be the most ill-informed, and wouldn't you know the biggest culprits are the atheists and evangelicals (fundamentalist Christians in particular). You can read my thoughts on this here:
https://steemit.com/creationist/@ryeis1/science-vs-religion-you-re-doing-it-wrong
Exacerbating the problem is also like you said; the endless propaganda machine that intentionally misrepresents and misconstrues ideals that do not conform to the progressive agenda (Alt right news outlets contribute, but to a much lesser degree since they are not mainstream). Whether or not a belief, idea, or system has merit is irrelevant. If it don't toe the party line, the general populace will be intentionally presented with a false (even sinister) version laced with just enough truth to convince our subconscious minds that we have received "factual" information enough to form solid conclusions. This way we can sit through the next commercial break free from the burden of checking out for ourselves what we have been told by our friends at WWBS News. Mixing lies with the truth in a deliberate effort to keep us ignorant, compliant, and scared is the very definition of diabolical. This brings me to the point of the whole thing; religion.
I think we can all agree on the folly of man made religions. However, if God actually exists, is benevolent, and fulfills an active role in the unfolding of time, then it stands to reason he would not want to see us confused and fighting about who's right and what's what. That's why I disagree with the sentiment that all religion is man made. A person proclaiming oneself to be "spiritual," not religious is a person who finds belief in the afterlife and greater purpose to be appealing as long as it's convenient, and there is freedom to accept or reject doctrines according to personal preference. This is hedonism, the exact opposite of spirituality. True spirituality is the willingness to live and act according to the belief that this life is only the beginning of things to come. This means willingness to sacrifice, suffer, and die for the greater good of all (including and especially the people we dislike). To live this way consistently requires discipline. Discipline requires commitment, routine, and hard work. Religion provides the structure necessary for the spiritual person to thrive. A spiritual person without religion is about as effective as a Marine without boot camp.
So how can we tell if a religion is man made or divinely inspired? For starters, it will not be wishy washy. If it exists at all, it will be ancient in origin, and the emphasis will be on what is true rather than what we like (or choose to accept). Voluntary submission will be the only relevant freedom of choice a prospective member will be faced with since it's core doctrines will be considered divine revelation. If this claim to divinity is true, the doctrinal teachings will remain steadfast in the ever changing landscape of cultural shifts, and the whims of men. They will emphasize harmony with nature, and unity with one another without undermining our individuality. Advances in science will only expand understanding of these doctrines rather than challenge their validity. Further study will reveal a profound and uncompromising insight into the very core of our fallen nature while remaining hopeful; encouraging mankind's ascension to the divine. As imperfect beings, our understanding of truth changes over the course of time as each generation contributes it's own unique perspective. Truth itself remains unchanging. God's true religion will only proclaim doctrines that mirror this model. In other words, "true" religion must necessarily be dogmatic in nature.
In contrast, man made religion will proclaim doctrines that appeal to emotion, and cannot be defended without using circular reasoning (e.g., sola scriptura) if they proclaim any doctrine at all. Likewise, religions that proclaim no doctrine at all will ultimately be indefensible without logical fallacy. A man made religion will claim to teach the truth, but the passage of time will reveal that it was about personal preference all along. It will require little of its members since member donations are the only thing ensuring further existence. Therefore, keeping seats filled will ultimately become more important than remaining faithful to the original idea. For this reason, it will require little or no effort to join, but may require considerable effort to leave (e.g., Scientology). Any man made religion will ultimately become a cult of personality. It will inevitably devolve into a private club of like minded individuals and cliques disguised as a place of worship. The core concept, however well intended, will become more and more diluted over time to appeal to as many people as possible without offending anyone. This will cause the more faithful (or prideful) to become disillusioned, leading to infighting. At this point, division becomes unavoidable. Wash, rinse, repeat.
In short, something man made will ultimately show itself to be a product of human nature, and will mirror human attributes. Something divine will remain divine despite the fallen nature and/or evil actions of its human counterparts. No matter how corrupt any person within may become, God's true religion will always display divine attributes and its core doctrines will never change. In the end, however, none of this matters if you know this one trick. To find God's true religion all you have to do is find the one the world hates the most. You may just find what you're looking for in the last place you would ever consider.