Being an open minded person, I try to keep my ears open for new prospects of old ways of thinking...
What I want to know, is "how did religion come about in the first place, and how did it get to be so diverse in the belief system?"
I'm a pretty spiritual guy, and I do my homework, when I come across something I can't find, I'm usually not afraid to ask someone about it, so...
From what my understanding is... (now correct me if I am wrong) Sumerian, was the first actual religion, and it was a polytheism...
(and no matter in WHAT religion, there is ALWAYS that one ultimate, all powerful god) In the sumerian religion, the ONE was called "AN". (pronounced AWN)

For my main question: WHAT HAPPENED TO PEOPLE TO BECOME SO DIVERSE?! (I personally think it has to do with people having different ideas, and nobody wanting to be wrong, so they make something up, and after a while, their lies become a fact... [in the case of Jesus Christ, I felt he was just a medicine man taught by a higher being to work "miracles" when in fact it was just the treatment itself {which I can understand seeing as they didn't really know what the hell they were doing way back then} but still...]thus giving rise to a new belief...) -forgive my long thought processes, I just want to be as thourough with my thoughts because I hardly understand them myself- And if by studying all these different religions, applying everything that is the same in ALL religions, then will that bring about the age of Sumerian beliefs again?

so, Was the explosion of different religions a result of a bunch of people being conked on the head and believing their way of thinking right, or a phenomena of (the one's) collective intelligence allowing the diversity?

I notice alot of people have viewed my topic, but have not replied, perhaps it's because they are unsure how to approach this? I won't take offence to any new thoughts that may challenge my way of thinking, but I just ask that my views are respected, and I will do the same.

Some believe religion developed alongside the ability to speak so it is highly interconnected and permeates into the very essence of humanity since the dawn of it. Sumeria was already part of the development of religion. It is where we find the earliest records of organized religion and not coincidentally it also is the region that gave birth to urbanization or the rise of cities. Animism might have been the earliest form of religion before written records. Part of that is not just worshiping the spirits of nature but also that of ancestors.

As tribes and ethnic groups divided over time it is natural that their deities would also have a stake in the outcome of their struggles or their cooperation and alliances. If one tribe won a battle or eventually a war then their deity or deities were considered superior. Thus power and the different forms of theism developed hand in hand. Rome was not the first but the greatest example of in order to build an empire one strategy is to welcome the deities of the conquered peoples. The Roman Pantheon was 'dedicated deliberately to All Gods of the Empire and elsewhere, both known and unknown'. 'The concept of religion to the Romans was perhaps best summed up by Hadrian, in the words put into his mouth by Marguerite Yourcenar, when he rebuilt the Marcus Agrippa's Pantheon in Rome: 'My intention had been that this sanctuary of All Gods should produce the likeness of the terrestrial globe and of the stellar sphere that globe wherein are enclosed the seeds of eternal fire, that hollow sphere containing all.''

Wacher, John. "The Roman Empire" Barnes & Nobles Book. 1997 p 177

Aztecs did sort of the opposite and would go to the farthest end of their empire and give a village the choice to set up the Aztec deities in their temple and in return pay tribute with so many crops, feathers, jewelry, woven articles, animal pelts, and even children to offer as sacrifices in the Aztec capital. If a tribe refused the Aztecs would simply be like OK we will return with an army to wage battle. They would then go home form an army then return and give the village one last chance to join the empire or not. Finally right before battle they would even ask if the opposite side had enough weapons for they wanted a fair fight because they truly believed even if they squared off to only three warriors the battle would be decided by the gods. The Aztecs though did not battle to simply slay the enemy for as soon as someone fell in battle their medics would rush in to patch them up for blood spilled on the battle field was wasted blood when it was better spilled on the altar of sacrifice to appease the appetites of their deity.

From these two examples, Rome and the Aztecs, we can see how close religion is tied into the power structures of society. Some religions, such as Christianity, at conception do not take concern with politics and attempt to get away from this construct. The Bible teaches to give to Caesar what is his and to give to God what is his. It also teaches to obey the emperor and not to be rebellious. It is more concerned with a heavenly kingdom and the kingdom within than it is with any earthly kingdom. Habits die hard and some miss the message and still attempt to merge religion with political power. Back to the topic at hand without going off on further tangents though.

The debate of if monotheism or polytheism came first is a difficult one for we do not have the records. The earliest records do show polytheism was en vogue during the time those records were made. But we have to consider the fact that each city had a patron deity which would be considered monotheism and as empires were made these local deities were merged with others in both creating a pantheon but also that some merged and became to be regarded as variants of the same deity.

Taking what all religions have in common and condensing all that to form one belief set is a popular route and I can see its appeal but I am not sure that is a way to derive the most truth. That is like taking different variants of oranges and taking their concentrate to make one glass of orange juice. I would rather find the best orange and use solely that one but that is IMHO.

What happened to people to become so diverse can be best answered in my opinion by the fact that different languages arose. As the languages and peoples become merged, either through a lingua franca or just because one language supersedes others, then religions will begin to merge again. Sometimes through one conquering another or sometimes by the blending of beliefs to make a new one. So in my view language and religion rose side by side and developed both in different ways but at times also in the same manner. Always coexisting but also as separate functions they are always affecting each other.

Language is a very powerful tool and who controls the words and what they mean, sometimes a small group, sometimes a large society, will in effect change the order of things. Religion though developed to meet the needs and conditions of any group of people or society at large and will change as these needs and conditions change.

I think that maybe it has to do with ego & control, but probably more with control. So stories are created to manipulate the masses and then changed and then changed again to try and maintain control over our constant evolution....different times require different solutions. No you can’t get divorced; yes you can, no you can’t be gay; yes you can, no you cannot practice birth control; yes I can!

Over all it is based on acceptance & fear. Followers either keep in step with the churches belief system (all religions) or they are faced with punishment. How horrible is that? How people would believe that a kind and loving God would do that to his own creation is beyond me!

I prefer to believe that we are all part of the one and we do not need to be in any particular location or belong to any specific group to honor the creator and our fellow creatures. Sorry if I got off subject…interesting topic!

Ok this is going to be short and simple explination.

Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and then they had sin. Their kids were born with sin nature and thus committed sins. One kid murdered another, one kid lied, one kid stoled, one kid worshiped false gods and in doing so created his own false religion that his kids followed.

Then the flood killed them all and Noah had kids and they were born with a sin nature and one kid murdered, one kid lied.... and it repeated.

But the first religion came from Adams first kids about 5,800 years ago. It was probably a simple religion where they worshiped the earth or moon or sun or lightning or something.

As much as I agree that the first religion came from Adam and Eve or the first people of mankind and life as we know it since God revealed Himself to him and her or them it is a theory that is held by faith and not fact. Every bit as valid in my world view and I do believe monotheism came first but there is no way to prove this but regardless there is no reason not to believe it if you believe in God.

i think the emergence of different religions has alot to do with geography and culture. there has not been one civilisation discovered that doesnt beleive in a higher power. i dont think it started off with one religion which everyone was a part of. it was diverse to begin with and groups created their own beliefs which were later tagged religion.

personally i think all religion points in the same direction. its just the use of different names and cultural expression that bring about the seeming differences. in the end its all about love.

[quote name='Nanankix' date='May 13 2008, 01:58 PM' post='2296640']
Being an open minded person, I try to keep my ears open for new prospects of old ways of thinking...
What I want to know, is "how did religion come about in the first place, and how did it get to be so diverse in the belief system?"
I'm a pretty spiritual guy, and I do my homework, when I come across something I can't find, I'm usually not afraid to ask someone about it, so...
From what my understanding is... (now correct me if I am wrong) Sumerian, was the first actual religion, and it was a polytheism...
(and no matter in WHAT religion, there is ALWAYS that one ultimate, all powerful god) In the sumerian religion.



Man has walked on this earth for longer than before recorded history. Even the archaeologists know very little about the cultural beliefs and practices of early man.

Every religion today most likely has some aspect of an ancient belief in its philosophy or practice, but to say that one particular religion is the oldest is naive. The reality is-- we do not know. We have no basis for comparison. Most reference books list Hinduism as the oldest world religion. This is probably because Hinduism has the oldest recorded roots, which lie in Dravidianism. Dravidianism is estimated to have been practiced around 6,000 to 3,000 BCE and as such predates the Sumerian, Egyptian, and Babylonian cultures.

I have heard time and time again that Brahmanism or the Vedas are the oldest religion but have not found much proof. The Vedas were written in a form of Sanskirt and was completed between 1500-1200 BCE. The Ancient Egyptians achieved their highpoint around 2686 BCE while their earliest religious writing goes back to 2500-2300 BC. The Pyramid Texts are considered the oldest religious writings. Mesopotamian writings on the other hand date to before 2220s BCE when the first author in the Near East, a high priestess by the name of Enheduanna, who wrote the following:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enheduanna

While the written record does not establish when the first religion was made, just as the development of language probably coincided with the development of religion, then writing itself probably introduced the first priestly castes and organized religion. Any information on Brahmanism being the oldest religion would be appreciated.

I agree. People near the sea have a sea god. People near a volcano have a volcano god. Whatever.

I think the divergence (IF all religions stemmed from one source) also has a lot to do with the kid's party game "Telephone." Someone starts the whisper at one side of the room, "Just be nice to everyone and help each other," and by the time it gets to the other side it is, "Torture the nonbelievers in hell for eternity." Or whatever.

People add things that suit their purposes.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/28609




Contrary to Zahid Abbas's (Religion is never wrong, only believers) claim, Islam is actually the youngest of the world's large (more than 300 million members) religions - Christainity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

According to religious historians, Islam was founded by Muhammad the Prophet around 622CE (Common Era), or about 1,382 years ago in Mecca.

Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ approximately 1,971 (33CE) years ago. As for Buddhism, it was founded by an Indian Prince Siddhartha Gautama in approximately 566BCE (Before Common Era), about 2500 years ago.

In fact, the oldest of the four main religions is Hinduism. Hinduism has the oldest recorded roots in Dravidianism. Dravidianism was estimated to have been practised around 6000 to 3000BCE and as such predates Sumerian, Egyptian and Babylonian cultures.

Islam is the second largest religion in the world with an estimated 1.2 billion followers (about 20 percent of the world's population). Presently Christianity is still the largest with about 33 percent of the world population its followers.

However, Islam is today's fastest growing religion. By 2025 or earlier, Islam will overtake Christianity as the world's largest religion. This is due to conversion (in mainly non-Muslim countries) and also the population growth in Muslim countries.

Therefore, Zahid should take comfort in knowing this and he perhaps may wish to change his view regarding the rights of an individual to choose his religion.

And what about Judaism, the religion of the Jews? It was founded around 1312BCE when Moses left Egypt for the promised land.

To say that Islam was founded by Adam and it was reborn with Abraham is incorrect even though it has been widely acknowledged by religious historians that Islam and Judaism both have the same roots in Abraham.

Thereafter, the same roots took different paths through the children of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. But, don't forget - Judaism was not practised as a religion until the revelation of God to Moses at Mt Sinai and the Laws of Torah (including the 10 Commandments) came into existence.

Likewise, the same applies to Islam and the Holy Quran. It came into existence during the time of Prophet Muhammad. As for Adam, he was the first man on earth and was created by God ... and by virtue of the former, there could not have been any religion in existence then.




Intresting that this yet just another path which is still under the Pagan umbrell




ON a side note there seems to be a huge connection to the Triple Goddess with these all these religions which really makes this all the more intresting.

http://www.livius.org/man-md/matronae/matronae.html


http://www.maryjones.us/jce/triplegoddess.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Goddess


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goddess


Clovis, you might like this I found it just for you! http://www.hrafnar.org/goddesses/matronae.html





The theme of the goddess trinity can also be found in the works of Jane Ellen Harrison, A.B. Cook, George Thomson, Sir James Frazer, Robert Briffault and Jack Lindsay. The Triple Goddess mytheme was also explored by psychologists involved in the study of archetypes Carl Kerenyi, Erich Neumann, and even Carl Jung. One of the most recent of archaeologists to explore this theme is Professor Marija Gimbutas whose studies on the Chalcolithic period of Old Europe (6500-3500 B.C.E.) have opened up entirely new avenues of research.

I have just read through all the replies to this, and I thank you for showing me so many different points of view, I'm doing alittle more research into the origins of religion, and I will upload an informative response.

I can see what you mean with the oranges comment Clovis, I do agree to a point, but not all oranges are as sweet or as tangy as per other's tastes.

I too also heard that hinduism is an old religion, but I had no clue it was THAT old, still, there might be those of which are MUCH older, Norwood.

Snow, I can relate completely with why on earth anyone would want to worship a God that so many people live in fear of... Kinda confusing, really. As the saying goes: To fear is to have respect. to RULE is to show no fear.
I don't know where I heard that, but it seems fairly accurate. (but having fear, and demonstrating NO fear will eventually lead to the downfall of a LOT of beliefs...)

Purplos, I've played that game in drama class, and strangely, that was the saying we used and ended up with... O.o that's kinda spooky...

Jelly, yes, I too feel "religion" to be nothing more than a tag. (and one many people use as a crutch for their actions, be it right or wrong)

Meik, snow, Jelly, norwood, purplos, and anyone else I forgot, What is SIN? (I ask because as more of a spiritual person, the 7 deadly sins, just confuse the HELL out of me...) I mean, we're all guilty of at least one or more of the sins, but what constitutes them as BAD? is it because of excess? I don't know though
Alittle pride boosts self esteem
lust... well who doesn't lust over someone they can't have, or if they do, they're proud about it.
envy, yeah, I know, envy IS pretty bad, but some of other peoples stuff is just SOOOO COOOL!
wrath, it depends on the context of how it's used or abused... proper wrath shouldn't be JUST FOR GOD, but for those God fearing people who have been wronged and take vengance upon those who have done it...
greed, I'm guilty of this one, mainly because money makes the world go round... I have aquired SO MUCH, my bank says I have to have another account... (I call it stocking up for that one "SUPER BIG MALL SMASH THAT WILL MAKE ANY SHOPKEEP CREAM THEMSELVES")
Sloth, we all have those days where we just lay about in bed and sleep...
Gluttony... ok, THIS I AM FOR DAMN SURE more than HALF of the USA is guilty of... (I for example, am one of them, but I work out, so what weight I DO gain, is muscle) I can see the problem with this one though... you eat and eat and eat, then you get fat, and because you're fat, you're depressed, so you eat more, etc etc etc... yeah... I know, but what's a few hundred calories for a hamburger if you just burn them off anyway?

Just saying, a "magical" amount of each sin is what makes this world go round... just how it is, and for those who KNOW NO SIN, I applaud you, you're either REALLY ignorant to the fact that it's all around, LYING about it (which is just WRONG), or the pope...


On that note, I'll leave to do my research.

Religion came about in the first place via mystic direct experience of the naked metaphysical spiritual nature of the universe.

It is so diverse because although this nature is one it is also infinite potential and creativity. If you do your homework you'll find the same message in all religions. Become one with love through love.

You are On a roll bro!

Love Omnaka

Who is on a roll?

Who is on a roll?

Omnaka was most likely referring to BNW when he posted this:



On a non-historical and non-sociological level I would agree with the first part though maybe not exactly. The divine and other spirits revealed themselves to early men and that is how religions developed. For the historical and sociological approach I stand by my earlier post on this thread.

As far as the same message in all religions those who adhere to the Bible only would disagree. That does not mean those in other paths cannot go to heaven they are just outside of Biblical salvation. As far as most religions leading to the same thing...I would agree most do.

I adhere to the bible but agree.

I agree too, but my reasons are different. I think most 'religions' are similar in that they are made up of laws or codes that best benefit the society as a whole. Even the Bible, if you take heaven and hell and God and Jesus out of it, the message is still good for society. Just like any religion.