The Evolution of Religion Essay - 967 Words

The Evolution of Religion As long as humans have walked the Earth, we have sought out answers. Answers for questions like: Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? Where did we come from? and Whats that? How different people answered these questions is important to study because it shows us the spiritual side of human nature. Especially now, a time of conflict between Islam and Western Civilization, it is important to look back and trace the evolution of religion. To see where we started and perhaps, gain some perspective into what is happening now and what may happen in the future. Early Man As far as archeologists have been able to research, they have found evidence of religious faith and practice. In†¦show more content†¦There were gods of the sky and storm, gods of the water, and gods of the soil. Although they looked like humans, they differed from their mortal cousins in their greater power, position in the universe, and their immortality. The Mesopotamians believed that their duty was to serve the gods and provide them with offerings of food, clothing, and art. The gods were fed meals, sung songs, and honored with devotion and ritual. The Mesopotamians had a gloomy picture of the afterlife. They believed that the winged spirits of the dead were confined to a dark netherworld, doomed to perpetual hunger and thirst unless someone offered them food and drink. They believed that some spirits escaped to haunt live human beings. The most interesting thing about their vision of the afterlife is that in it, all humans suffered equally -- there was no special treatment for those who had some well and good in life or for those who had been poor or bad. There were burial rituals, and people were usually buried with pottery and other trinkets. There were not, however, tombstones or inscriptions to identify the dead. The explanation offered by Historians is that the Mesopotamians were mainly concerned with the problems of the mortal world and leading a good life before dying. The Egyptians Egyptian religious beliefs shared some similarities with Mesopotamian beliefs, but differenced in many important ways. Egyptians had numerous explanations for the formation of theShow MoreRelatedThe Evolution of Religion1318 Words   |  6 Pagescreate a smoke-and-mirrors effect. In many ways this story is similar to the creation and interpretation of religion by individuals within society. In the following pages I will discuss this metaphor, as well as Rudolf Otto and his theories on the creation of religion, Peter L. Berger’s theory of â€Å"the sacred canopy,† and finally the intermingling of these two theories in the evolution of religion. RUDOLF OTTO AND RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE In The Idea of the Holy, Rudolf Otto begins by explaining theRead MoreEssay on The Evolution of Religion880 Words   |  4 PagesThe Evolution of Religion Near the end of his novel, Darwins Dangerous Idea, Daniel Dennett questions religion and contends that it was an evolutionary process to keep humans entertained. He says they [religions] have kept Homo Sapiens civilized enough, for long enough, for us to have learned how to reflect more systematically and accurately on our position of the universe(519). Dennetts position is a controversial one, and it is difficult to argue because it is such an abstract subjectRead MoreEvolution of Abrahamic Religions 1022 Words   |  5 PagesEvolution of Abrahamic Religions â€Å"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.† Genesis 17:5. This is a direct excerpt from the king james Bible where God is renaming Abram to Abraham. 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His theory claimed that all life currently in place had evolved and adapted from a single organism in the beginning. Over time and by process of natural selection only the dominant species were leftRead MoreEssay about Religion Evolution2362 Words   |  10 Pages(about -270à ¸ C/-454à ¸ F). This relic radiation was detected by radio astronomy in 1965, thereby providing what most astronomers consider to be confirmation of the big bang theory.3 In this statement we have our first of arguments over creationism by evolution. We have the beginnings of a proof that there was a time or rather, I should say, a point in time where there was indeed nothing.Many creationists will argue that the universe is too ordered; the path of the planets (which meant wanderers, or greatRead MoreEvolution Of Religion Studies, Theories, And Criticisms By Tom Sjoblom1284 Words   |  6 PagesInitially, when examining the article, The Evolution of Religion Studies, Theories, Critiques by Tom Sjà ¶blom the author attempts to identify what various actions taken by prehistoric humans mean. Sjà ¶blom begins by explaining that humans are storytelling species and that this storytelling was extremely important to our cognitive evolution as well as the creation of symbolic and cultural behavior. This storytelling ability and cultural behavior he believes arises from, â€Å"a narrative mind which emerged