anth
The Guy Who Waves
My friends and I have always wondered one thing: Where did religion, faith, etc. come from, originally?
While there is evidence of spiritual, cult-like clans, tribes, and such in the days when the wheel was the hottest bit of technology on the market, the beliefs of people have come a long way. In the "good 'ol days", people worshiped the sun and other celestial objects along with animals, plants, and idols for answers to their prayers and wishes. There was nothing wrong with this, but often, this isn't well-accepted in the western world (I speak from experience on that.)
Essentially, people thought up stories, myths, legends, theories, and so forth to explain what was happening in this idea of "reality" and "life on Earth". At least, that's what I've often been told.
I personally view the "invention" of faith and religion as a means of hope. That is, it gives people hope in another life after this one, one where they will be rewarded or punished for their actions in the mortal realm.
I think that people (as masses) would lose a considerable amount of hope in living if they thought that this life was it. I think religion, although it has its heavy costs, is a good thing for the mentality of people due to its nature to help people through hard times but, ultimately, give them a sense of hope.
The point of this thread is for people to come up with theories and discuss how valid each theory is, in terms of logic.
What are your (logical) theories on the origins of faith and religion?
While there is evidence of spiritual, cult-like clans, tribes, and such in the days when the wheel was the hottest bit of technology on the market, the beliefs of people have come a long way. In the "good 'ol days", people worshiped the sun and other celestial objects along with animals, plants, and idols for answers to their prayers and wishes. There was nothing wrong with this, but often, this isn't well-accepted in the western world (I speak from experience on that.)
Essentially, people thought up stories, myths, legends, theories, and so forth to explain what was happening in this idea of "reality" and "life on Earth". At least, that's what I've often been told.
I personally view the "invention" of faith and religion as a means of hope. That is, it gives people hope in another life after this one, one where they will be rewarded or punished for their actions in the mortal realm.
I think that people (as masses) would lose a considerable amount of hope in living if they thought that this life was it. I think religion, although it has its heavy costs, is a good thing for the mentality of people due to its nature to help people through hard times but, ultimately, give them a sense of hope.
The point of this thread is for people to come up with theories and discuss how valid each theory is, in terms of logic.
What are your (logical) theories on the origins of faith and religion?
