Why did humans invent Religion ?

[HannibalBarka]

Well I am not a believer in any Religion. But religious belief does exist, and my thinking is that people invented Religion because they needed a Super Being to help them deal with their fear. I actually had the experience two weeks ago when my little 6 months old daughter got sick and I wished there is some kind of God whom I can implore to protect my baby.

Does any one had this kind of feeling ? and what's your opinion about why is there a religious belief ?

 

[Kev1916]

Fear of Death.

 

[Belle Du Jour]

I think christians invented their religion as there was nothing to do on a sunday, Jews were at a loose end on saturday and moslems did not know what to do with their fridays.

 

[EzInKy]

To explain the unexplainable.

 

[Ossric]

ditto EzInKy

 

[cgannon64]

Did you ever wonder why all humans seem to beleive in some form of religion, and if they don't, its usually because they renounce the faith they were raised with?

So religion is almost a given among humans. Every human was either raised or beleives in a god throughout their life. Could this be that one human, thousands of years ago, invented this fantastic lie about creation and an all-powerful diety, that every other human that he told beleived? If this is true, why do even isolated cultures, seperate from other ones, believe in religion? Because everyone decided to invent this god? And everyone invented a god along the same lines? Why would you invent a god anyway? The comfort factor is gone if you know you invented it, isn't it?

Sorry, but all of these givens sounds as crazy to me, a Catholic, as the idea of a god sounds to you, the Athiests.

 

[Hurricane]

Originally posted by EzInKy
To explain the unexplainable.

No. That was the reason for the first shamanist beliefs, but I would hardly call that religion. Religion requires a certain dogma, has distinct rules about what you can and can't do, coupled with lots of stories that are meant to give guidelines how to act in life.

So what does that lead to? It brings humans together, giving them something they have in common. Before that, humans who did not know each other usually ended up trying to kill each other. So religion was probably the single most important idea when combining small human tribes into chiefdoms and eventually kingdoms and empires.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I think religion began as anscestor worship and as prayers by hunters to slain animals. Look at the famous cave paintings in Europe, if those arent prayers to animal spirits, I dont know what is.

Hurricane, dont be so "modernity-centric". Shamanistic beliefs are religions.

 

[lz14]

IMHO, Religion was for people to feel better for natrual harship and and later social ones. Christianity was born largely because the opression of Roman authority, especially on Jews. Poor people felt better knowing even nobody cared them God still does. Rich people later followed because they want to go to heaven. Buddism was similar as there was a very strict serfdom level structure in India. Central idea of Buddism was how to get rid of all the sufferings. Islam was similar plus there was a need for a unified nation. Religions also evolve of course, but tha't how I understand when they were invented.

 

[floppa21]

Well I finally finished my book and started the Case for Christ. Halfway through it now. I feel some of it could apply to this discussion... But I will refrain as I have not finished it yet.

Sorry Grnmntsun, I didn't start it until late last week, but I am making good progress on it.

Leowind and I discussed this a bit once upon a time. Since time began, man has had his gods and worshipped them. The parallels between Set and Jesus Christ are numerous and interesting, but could be they were worshipping one god as so many now claim the Chritians and the Muslims do. Some people revered their ancestors as spirits that could make a good crop or rain. Possibly these elevated to god status?

 

[Tassadar]

Two word, power and control. the best way of controling the uneducated poeple is through mystisism. Usualy with a fair amount of fear ( fear of hell and so on). It is so obvious for me.

Many old civilisation used mysticism to try to justify their own war of conquest. And even some modern one ( axis of evil as an exemple).

Human brain are so easily manipulable, you only need 1 person with a good story ( god talk to me and said bla blabbla...), to enslave humanity for several hundred year with illuminated comments.

Just look at today, some still rely on the bible prophety.


Mass control, period.

 

[andvruss]

So we could spam the OT forum with religion vs. science threads......

 

[MrPresident]

To quote Douglas Adams. Religion is like a puddle thinking that the hole in the ground that it sits in is so perfect for it that some higher being most have created it. Basically evolution has shaped us in such a way that the environment in which we live in is perfect for us. We look around us and see this perfect environment and come to the conclusion that a higher being must have created it for us.

 

[Hurricane]

Originally posted by Tassadar
Two word, power and control. the best way of controling the uneducated poeple is through mystisism. Usualy with a fair amount of fear ( fear of hell and so on). It is so obvious for me.

Many old civilisation used mysticism to try to justify their own war of conquest. And even some modern one ( axis of evil as an exemple).

Human brain are so easily manipulable, you only need 1 person with a good story ( god talk to me and said bla blabbla...), to enslave humanity for several hundred year with illuminated comments.

Just look at today, some still rely on the bible prophety.


Mass control, period.

Basically I agree with you. But I don't share your negative/pessimistic view of what religion has caused. Without religion, man would still live in the stone age, in small tribes, and fight relentless wars against their neighbors.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

For political purposes. People need to be controlled.

Edit: Tassadar puts it quite well...

 

[floppa21]

Originally posted by Tassadar
Two word, power and control. the best way of controling the uneducated poeple is through mystisism. Usualy with a fair amount of fear ( fear of hell and so on). It is so obvious for me.

Many old civilisation used mysticism to try to justify their own war of conquest. And even some modern one ( axis of evil as an exemple).

Human brain are so easily manipulable, you only need 1 person with a good story ( god talk to me and said bla blabbla...), to enslave humanity for several hundred year with illuminated comments.

Just look at today, some still rely on the bible prophety.


Mass control, period.

Tassador, consider an indian tribe who was not a warring people. People who hunted for meat and grew their own crops. They had gods also, and I don't think it was for "Power and Control"... Your reply is too general and wide.

Man has ALWAYS had gods. Whether it was a Christian God, or a blood god, or a crop god based on seasons. WHY? Is it some biological need? Is there one true god that we as man know is there and thus the stories and religions sprang up?

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Religion was probably invented by scrawny, near sighted proto-geeks with lousy hunting skills, as a way to get chicks.

 

[De Lorimier]

Religion was invented to explain the wonders of nature.
When ancient civilizations humans were faced with something they didn't understand (like the sun, water, fire, etc...) they created a god for it (Râ in Egypt for example).
With time the people in charge of these gods and religion in general (priest) realized the power of those beliefs on the people and that's when politics came into play.
Sadly, humans continued to believe these things long after science came and explained what needed to be explained to the masses.
Religion is comfort for most believers. Most believers are weak and need this impression of an higher being and organized groups. In this crazy world who could blame them?

 

[Yago]

Gods were invented to secure bread and wine in abundance. Fertility gods who make food aviable, those rule. To somehow control the uncertainties and dangers of life. To have a feeling of "savety". Someone who would punish wrongdoers, when the people in case hadn't the abiltiy to punish them themselves. Someone to bring justice.

And I bet, that the devolepment of all religions started somewhere in a cave, by people afraid of a storm.

 

[funxus]

I guess people found it useful for idfferent reasons. Some wanted power as priests, some wanted to explain what they couldn't explain, some wanted to feel they were able to influence what they couldn't influence (e.g. climate)... there are many reasons why people 'invented' religion, although I don't think the leaders exactly sat together in a meeting deciding on what made-up story they should believe in, but that the idea always was there from the beginning and that it eveloved into something bigger. The fact that most tribes believe in some kind of god or gods I think reveals human nature more than proving the existence of these Gods.

@cgannon64 - the fact that all religions are so different (values, the number of gods, symbols...) I think proves that nobody got the idea of religion from the same source.

And everyone invented a god along the same lines?

All gods were not invented along the same lines, just compare 3 of the big religions in the world, christianity (and judaism and islam), buddhaism and hinduism, neither of these three have the same idea of god(s).