"Why the need for all of these different religions? "

Some philosophers have suggested that there is such a strong drive in most people toward identifying with a higher power - that it could be considered evidence that we were created this way. The Bible also has many references to people being created with a natural desire to seek out God. I'm sure you'll dismiss this notion - but you can't throw out the premise easily if you are really being open minded...

"I'll tell you why. Because each religion , originally societies (think Sunni, Shiite, etc in the Muslim faith, or the different factions within the Jewish religion, or the different factions in Christianity), needed to prove how they were superior to others."

Thanks for sharing your opinion on this, but I don't agree.

" It continues today. Religion is constantly used as a means to divide people."

Religion does divide. But it can also draw together. Just because there is divisiveness, it does not mean that was the original purpose - but simply an outcome or side effect (often because of the people who misuse or misunderstand it).

Switching this up a little, most Christians feel that Christianity is essentially an 'anti-religion'. Jesus came to shake up the established Jewish religion, with all of it's corruption, hierarchy, religion for the sake of religion, religion for the use of dividing, etc. Religion was (and still is for many) a way for men to 'prove their worthiness' to God... Jesus revealed that attitude as hogwash - as all men are sinners, and no matter how hard we work and try to be all 'religious', we are just putting up smoke and mirrors.

The Old Testament is used by Christians in part as a case study of how 'religion' is a failure when it comes to gaining a relationship with God. Christians feel that Jesus is the answer\solution to 'religion'.

One of my favorite parts of the Bible is the story of Stephan the Martyr in the beginning of the book of Luke. He provides and great summary to the 'religious leaders' of the time of how far off they are and how they are\were so blinded by 'religion' that they didn't even realize when they killed their own Messiah... He was immediately stoned to death for this 'outrage' as the (soon to be) apostle Paul (Saul) looked on in approval (he was a prominent Jewish leader who lead the bloody charge against early Christians before God changed his heart and he became one of the very people he was earlier persecuting)...

Of course from the outside looking in - we are all lumped together as the 'religious', but I'm hoping you are open minded enough to try to understand my perspective.