Why No Major Western Religions?

[Rival]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

 

[The Hammer]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

I asked something similar here:

Ancient European Philosophy

Where is it? Why does it not exist? Closest we have is the philosophy of Greece and Rome. Where are the Celtic, Germanic, and Central European philosophers? We have Ancient Chinese, Iranian, Jewish, and Indian philosophy. What gives?

www.religiousforums.com

 

[Rival]

I asked something similar here:

Ancient European Philosophy

Where is it? Why does it not exist? Closest we have is the philosophy of Greece and Rome. Where are the Celtic, Germanic, and Central European philosophers? We have Ancient Chinese, Iranian, Jewish, and Indian philosophy. What gives?

www.religiousforums.com

I created basically that exact thread a while ago and then deleted it.

It's ****ing depressing.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

Of course there's major western religions. Much of it with the indigenous nations who have a deep rich spiritual background.

 

[The Hammer]

I created basically that exact thread a while ago and then deleted it.

It's ****ing depressing.

You did. It's where I took the inspiration.

 

[soulsurvivor]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

Mormons may say they are just Christians, but Mormonism is a major religion from the West separate from Christianity since they have their own book.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Why are all major religions from the East?

I suspect that Mesoamerican culture and religion(s) was far more substantive than most of us realize. Nevertheless, it's a great question.

 

[The Hammer]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

I think a lot of it was because it was preliterate and passed on orally.

After that those that came.in and took over, were literate, and in the process of making the locals literate chose to do so by enforcing their own doctrines and not embracing those of the locals.

See "driving snakes out of Ireland" for instance. The missionaries drove out the indigenous views.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Perhaps the direction of Earth's spin has something to do with it.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

The original religions of Native Americans depended on the tribe but they were pretty pantheistic. They are cool religions, but Christianity came in and crushed all of them.

 

[crossfire]

I take it you are not counting secular humanism then?

 

[The Hammer]

I take it you are not counting secular humanism then?

No. It's not a theology imo

 

[crossfire]

No. It's not a theology imo

Neither is Buddhism. That doesn't stop it from being a religion or belief system.

 

[crossfire]

<...>

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

Humanism/belief in human agency certainly has been passed along and is quickly growing with the rise of the nones.

 

[Heyo]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

You have the wrong premise. There are no major western religions today. So the question isn't why there haven't been western religions, the question is why they didn't survive and become "major".
The answer is that Eastern religions (especially Christianity and Islam) are just so violent and intolerant that they destroyed the more tolerant and peaceful religions.

 

[RestlessSoul]

You have the wrong premise. There are no major western religions today. So the question isn't why there haven't been western religions, the question is why they didn't survive and become "major".
The answer is that Eastern religions (especially Christianity and Islam) are just so violent and intolerant that they destroyed the more tolerant and peaceful religions.

You think pre-Christian Europe was tolerant and peaceful?

 

[Heyo]

You think pre-Christian Europe was tolerant and peaceful?

Nope, and neither were the Americas. But they had nothing to put up against the far more hateful and belligerent Christianity and Islam.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Nope, and neither were the Americas. But they had nothing to put up against the far more hateful and belligerent Christianity and Islam.

I doubt Roman civilisation became more brutal after adopting Christianity. It’s difficult to see how would have been possible. And I doubt Christianised Medieval Europe was more a more violent lawless place than during the dark ages.

 

[Heyo]

I doubt Roman civilisation became more brutal after adopting Christianity. It’s difficult to see how would have been possible. And I doubt Christianised Medieval Europe was more a more violent lawless place than during the dark ages.

Who said "lawless"? I consider Christianity to be lawful evil.

 

[Tomef]

Why are all major religions from the East?

Even historically, Rome was full of Mirtha-worshippers and Manichaeans.

Why hasn't the West (Europe, the Americas etc.) produced any religions the likes of Islam or Zoroastrianism?

I'm not talking about small Pagan religions followed by a small amount of people who are essentially re-inventing it.

We just didn't seem to create anything on that scale and pass it along.

Judaism blended with classical Greek thought in Christianity, Christianity then blended with the might makes right Roman state, from there power politics and the obvious advantages for leaders of having a populace who believe being humble and submissive is a good thing were some reasons behind the Christian takeover of Europe. Druidical and other pagan religions before that were pretty organised, they had their own monuments, traditions, calendars, legends etc, they just lost out to a religion backed by more military and political power.