Is the fact that there are over 1500 major religions a puzzle?

There are only a comparatively small number of world religions, though there are far more denominations within each of the world faiths. Once you distinguish between a major religion and denominations within them, the puzzle is solved. I have a chart showing all the belief systems, from the most ancient known, right up to today. Here are the categories:

Folk – (700 million adherents) This includes primal-Indigenous, Animism, Shamanism, Paganism, Tribal, Chinese folk religion which includes Confucianism, Taoism and also Zoroastrianism.

African – (100 m adherents) including beliefs originating in the Caribbean and S. America – Yoruba, Yodun, Haitian Vodou and Candombie.

Hinduism – (900 m adherents) The oldest Hindu sect is Shaivism. Then there’s Vaishnavism, Vedanta, Smartas [that isn’t a joke] and Yoga.

Jainism – (5 m adherents)

Judaism – (20 m adherents) including Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Liberal, Secular and Kabbalah groupings.

Buddhism – (376 m adherents) which has 3 branches, Therevada, Mayahana and Vajrayana.

Christianity – (2.3 billion adherents) which has 3 branches, Catholic (including Orthodox groups), Protestant and Pentecostal/Charismatic groups.

Islam – (1.75 billion adherents) with 3 main branches, Sunni, Shi’a and Sufism.

Sikhism – (23 m adherents)

Secular – (900 m adherents) which includes the [lack of] belief systems of atheism and agnosticism. Juche is also included, for this North Korea system preaches absolute loyalty to the Supreme Leader.

Modern – (20 m adherents) Bahai, Spiritualism, New Age and Scientology.

So there are 11 distinct belief systems. When you compare them all, it is obvious that you need to choose which of those 11 has more claim to truth than any of the others. As they mainly clash with foundational points of belief, they cannot all be right! You might decide none of them are right. That’s up to you, but please categorize accurately in the first place, and that will cut out a lot of unnecessary confusion.

But in religion, there are, indeed, “certain people” who major in trying to convince others that their particular splinter group is the only one on the face of the Earth that God is pleased with, and that to be saved you must join them. That is a hallmark of a cult, and the world is full of cults. Christians know that if you belong to Jesus Christ, by faith, you are okay, no matter what denomination you prefer. Christians do not preach denominations, but Christ crucified and resurrected – they point others to the risen Christ. That is Christianity.

It's made into a puzzle by the fact that neary 100% of the information on the internet is almost completely false.

For example, almost 100% of the information found about "Scientology" on the internet is completely false. The same can be true of almost any of the 1500 religions

In fact, the number 1500 is itself a falsification. It's not a real number. It's a guess, an estimate, or a calculation which is basically guaranteed to have been made incorrectly.

You may have covered all that is known in the world, it is as much a puzzle to me as worship of a golden calf, the many other things mentioned in the bible, to Jesus and Paul amid Pharisees and Sadducees. Drive down any roadway a few miles and see the many different names, 1500 sounds

like a small entanglement of world disagreement to be puzzled at.

It's a puzzle that yields to the application of Occam's Razor...

Apparently, you don't know what "major" means. If there are 1500 active religions (not counting individual sects/denominations like sunni/shia, or Catholic/Baptist/Methodist), none are likely big enough to be "major."

Not really, the con artists have been working their magic for a considerable period of time, each has sought a personal niche in which to reap the profits and power.

There aren't that many. There are, as Fabio pointed out, only about 11 major religions with their denominations.

A person can know with certainty the Catholic Church is the One True Church by reciting the rosary carefully every day.

Check it out

https://m.facebook.com/See-the-truth-1360742170618...

https://m.facebook.com/Eligos-1182167575156646/?re...

Not at all because a sucker is born every minute.