Maybe I've been an atheist too long, but this has always confused me... how do religions reconcile the fact that their religions are predated by others that influenced them?

I think it involves an idea along the lines of "Oh, well now we found the real God." (Or messiah, or other beliefs, etc.) So they are then able to ignore past ones as mistakes or primitive ideas.

Edit: Dang, someone already downvoted every comment in this thread? If you have the "right" answer to this, then speak out instead of downvoting people you disagree with.

Everyone before them was wrong and misguided, but now we are on the right path.

Cults and conspiracy theorists follow a similar pattern in explaining why the"truth" had not be revealed until they came along.

Ultimately though, religion is an all encompassing perspective, so a mind is willing to do A LOT of logical loop holes in order to explain how something that when criticized does not stand up but must still somehow be correct.

They don't reconcile anything. It's never talked about.

Well, one of the ways is by convincing itself that they are the first true religion of its type , or the fulfillment of the old one. (Cite: Catholicism) Most other sects of Christianity are separated on the principle that they have discovered some truth that the other ones have missed.

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Why are you apologizing for asking a question about religion? That's a problem.

I think they pretend they didn't hear it.