How are newer religions different from older ones? How are they similar? Most of the newer religions focus more on spirituality, rather than god and a messenger, such as muhammad or jesus. They are more focused on inner peace and mental and spiritual force. They are also about improving self awareness. They require no real commitment to god or a religion and they allow folks to experience religious freedom, which is very popular today. They do not require a huge lifestyle change or accountability for one's behavior, karma, etc. I think they are similar in that most of them do not follow the holy bible and are very contemporary in their teachings. They often times combine religions and are not so adamant on "it's this way and this is the only way" mentality. There are those too,...