Because we're coming into a new world with a new globalization that has never before been seen. In the past, there were many many many sub-cultures existing in relative isolation. In the same way that isolation tends to cause speciation in evolution, the same thing occurs with human populations (since we follow the same rules that govern all of nature).
For example, buddhism works well in india with the ideas already in place there in hinduism. It's a refinement/modification of the hindu ideas that have, themselves, developed from arian influences in the region for many many thousands of years. Once buddhism hits the west when Ashoka sends missionaries into the middle east, buddhism is integrated into greco-roman culture.
The hebrews, who, are themselves a hybridization of ancient babylonian/syrian/egyptian (particularly Pharaoh Akhenaten) latch onto the ideas of buddhism and form christianity (or at least a part of the jews do). They then use the leverage that this brought them to launch themselves into a period of dominance in the west for over a millenia.
It's like a virus that spreads and mutates and is transmitted as an idea (information) instead of a physical biological agent. See work by Richard Dawkins and Susan Blackmore and others that talk about the idea of a "Meme" as quantized bits of social information that get handed around.
Now, science is coming into the picture as a new set of memes that have never been seen before. The non-dogmatic method that they espouse create something of an immune system amongst the populus leading to more social stability (at least in the long run).
It's a pretty cool realization.
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Vi veri veniversum vivus vici. (By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe)
The self is not a fixed entity but a dynamic process of relationships
You & I, no distinction. - Tat Tvam Asi
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