There was a time when Judaism, Christianity and Islam were the new religions - and I dare say, they also overcomplicated things compared to the old ones. I mean, looking at the state of the world, it's far simpler to acknowledge that there are many gods, some benevolent, some malicious, a lot of them powerful but none omnipotent - as opposed to claiming there is only one omnipotent and benevolent god, and then looking for excuses as to why bad stuff happens anyway. Never mind the habit of blaming natural disasters on people's sins, which feels like a global-sized version of the "look what you made me do" line uttered by countless abusers.

You can even consider Buddhism, which attests that gods are irrelevant to one's own enlightenment, and morality - that is, karma - is inherent in one's actions and intentions, rather than determined by any god. Which again reduces the need for excuses for all the evils in the world, since in the Buddhist view, these evils stem from disharmony, and are an expectedl part of an already imperfect world.

Bear in mind, even in the Bible, there are explicit passages saying that following the rules has the chance of getting you to heaven, but there's no obligation for it on god's part. This is the sola fide doctrine, which Calvinism further develops - or twists, depending on your view - into the concept of predestination - that some people are inherently bound for heaven, others or hell, and there's nothing to be done about it. I mean, I'd prefer it if it was as you said - that your life decisions determined where you end up - but it's just not supported in Christian religious doctrine. As opposed to Buddhism again, where this is very much the case, and following the Noble Path does lead to a way out of the cycle of suffering.

There was a time when Judaism, Christianity and Islam were the new religions - and I dare say, they also overcomplicated things compared to the old ones. I mean, looking at the state of the world, it's far simpler to acknowledge that there are many gods, some benevolent, some malicious, a lot of them powerful but none omnipotent - as opposed to claiming there is only one omnipotent and benevolent god, and then looking for excuses as to why bad stuff happens anyway. Never mind the habit of blaming natural disasters on people's sins, which feels like a global-sized version of the "look what you made me do" line uttered by countless abusers.

You can even consider Buddhism, which attests that gods are irrelevant to one's own enlightenment, and morality - that is, karma - is inherent in one's actions and intentions, rather than determined by any god. Which again reduces the need for excuses for all the evils in the world, since in the Buddhist view, these evils are a natural part of an already imperfect world.

Bear in mind, even in the Bible, there are explicit passages saying that following the rules has the chance of getting you to heaven, but there's no obligation for it on god's part. This is the sola fide doctrine, which Calvinism further develops - or twists, depending on your view - into the concept of predestination - that some people are inherently bound for heaven, others or hell, and there's nothing to be done about it. I mean, I'd prefer it if it was as you said - that your life decisions determined where you end up - but it's just not supported in Christian religious doctrine. As opposed to Buddhism again, where this is very much the case, and following the Noble Path does lead to a way out of the cycle of suffering.