If you were in the 1100s, you wouldn't have known of Protestants, either, let alone the Post-Enlightenment, Deism-tamed Christianity of today. So let's not make faulty arguments based on an on-going timeline.
Hinduism is not an organized religion. Salvation here is completely up to the individual. It is not a mass-movement, and it was never designed to harvest souls. It is one of the most sincerest idea of a soul being accountable to its Creator, by its own deeds alone. It is not a popularity contest.
But like I said before, all figments of Man's imagination.
No theist knows the origin of his God either. But I can explain it: Man's imagination.
:^)
But you see God doesn't need an origin -- he's above Creation. And therefore, the rules of Creation do not apply, much less than the rules I make for the world of a video game apply to me -- the Creator of that world.
And as for Protestantism -- to me it was a movement to restore what the Reformers felt were the ORIGINAL teachings of the Church as we find in the writings of the Apostles.
I would also say that salvation being up to the individual is a selfish thing if you yourself knew the keys to salvation.
But you know -- we can go around and around in our arguments. Since I have some work to do that doesn't involve religion, I'm going to leave with this humorous image:
