Religion: The Driving Force Behind Human Civilization

[JimBowie1958]

RELIGION was certainly one of the tools of group cohesion


But as religions existed Loooooooooooooooong before cities, this argument is tad overstated.

Yep...religion is not a requirement for civilization to develop....food surpluses, specialized jobs, complex cities and institutions, and technology is.

True. And after civilisation has reached a certain point religion is a but a brake on its further progress.

Not true, but atheists do like to come in after theists have spent long years and decades building up civilizations. The atheists like to lie backstab and gang attack unsuspecting theists, then cry to the heavens when it gets turned around on them!

roflmao

How many hospitals, orphanages or hospices have atheists made? ALL of ZERO! lolol

 

[QuickHitCurepon]

I would venture to say that more people have died in the name of religion than all the wars combined (some of which were caused by religious differences).

Unless you think the two world wars and the Mongolian invasions were caused by religion, then your statement is provably false out of hand.

So, we do not believe in god we trust (to kill) everybody that gets in our way?

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I'm afraid you would be wrong about that.

Religion since the beginning of recorded history might....might.....account for 1 million.

You are quite wrong. In the Protestant v Catholic Thirty Years War, 1618-1648, alone many, many more than a million died. And in relation to the size of the then population a higher proportion died than in, say, WWII. German States lost between 25% and 40% of their population.

Don't be so sure.

List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

122,000,000 have died from the 13 secular wars higher in casualties than the 30 years War's 3,000,000, and that is using the LOW estimate.

Another 7,000,000 follow it from secular war deaths before you get to the French Revolution Wars of Religion and most of that were secularists slaughtering Catholics.

It is clear that there is no comparison; secularists love to kill people especially innocent people, by any means necesary.

You are right, Jim. There is simply no comparison.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I would venture to say that more people have died in the name of religion than all the wars combined (some of which were caused by religious differences).

Unless you think the two world wars and the Mongolian invasions were caused by religion, then your statement is provably false out of hand.

So, we do not believe in god we trust (to kill) everybody that gets in our way?

I believe the driving idea behind those who do whatever they wish ( irregardless of the harm it would cause others ) is that there will be no consequences for their actions. People who believe there are no consequences for their actions are more likely to ignore their own conscience than those who believe there are eternal consequences for wrong behavior. One group knows they are accountable to a higher authority while the other group doesn't believe they are accountable to anyone ( eternally ) - I'd say the person who feels accountable would be more likely to do their best when no one is watching.

 

[daws101]

RELIGION was certainly one of the tools of group cohesion


But as religions existed Loooooooooooooooong before cities, this argument is tad overstated.

Yep...religion is not a requirement for civilization to develop....food surpluses, specialized jobs, complex cities and institutions, and technology are.

what jimbob and others fail to realize is if had not been for the developments you just mentioned religion, literature writing, science and other more esoteric pursuits would never have happened.
it's misnomer to think the religion in and of it's self is a stabling force in a society
it's no more or less important then the other factors...

 

[koshergrl]

RELIGION was certainly one of the tools of group cohesion


But as religions existed Loooooooooooooooong before cities, this argument is tad overstated.

Yep...religion is not a requirement for civilization to develop....food surpluses, specialized jobs, complex cities and institutions, and technology are.

what jimbob and others fail to realize is if had not been for the developments you just mentioned religion, literature writing, science and other more esoteric pursuits would never have happened.
it's misnomer to think the religion is a stabling force in a society.

Wow. It is comments like this that make me think that not only are you ignornant, but you actually take stupid lessons.

"Religion is a shared system of beliefs and practices that embodies the spirituality of a culture. Religion of some type is important in all cultures. It is the foundation of myths, rituals, ethics, doctrines and social structure. Religion is the basis for society, even though in technological societies it may not have a physical presence in day to day life, it takes on the form of occupied laws, social taboos and morals."

Religion

"
It was Émile Durkheim's conviction that religion not only stabilized society but also gave direction to it. In the end, society celebrated itself in religion through its rituals and beliefs. The more consensus was achieved on religious dogmas, the more they steered human actions in society and the more morality was to be found in religion. Later on in life, Durkheim thought religious persuasions to be part of the collective consciousness. The stronger they are found to be in society and met by the individual, the more they will be practiced. According to Durkheim, religion enabled societal order, but how is order possible in a "disenchanted" world, that is, a world robbed of its divine shine by science? To Max Weber, religion formed a human answer to everything irrational in life. Only religion could render life meaningful by giving not only norms for everyday life but also answers to existential questions."

Content Pages of the Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Science

Oh, and because I know you don't know who Emilie Durkheim is:

"
David Émile Durkheim (French: [emil dyʁkɛm] or [dyʁkajm];[1] April 15, 1858 – November 15, 1917) was a French sociologist, social psychologist and philosopher. He formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science and father of sociology.[2][3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Durkheim

"In The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, Durkheim’s first purpose was to identify the social origin and function of religion as he felt that religion was a source of camaraderie and solidarity.[41]"

 

[rdean]

These right wingers. Inventing history that never happened. And then repeating it to often, they actually believe what they only imagined.

 

[daws101]

Yep...religion is not a requirement for civilization to develop....food surpluses, specialized jobs, complex cities and institutions, and technology are.

what jimbob and others fail to realize is if had not been for the developments you just mentioned religion, literature writing, science and other more esoteric pursuits would never have happened.
it's misnomer to think the religion is a stabling force in a society.

Wow. It is comments like this that make me think that not only are you ignornant, but you actually take stupid lessons.

"Religion is a shared system of beliefs and practices that embodies the spirituality of a culture. Religion of some type is important in all cultures. It is the foundation of myths, rituals, ethics, doctrines and social structure. Religion is the basis for society, even though in technological societies it may not have a physical presence in day to day life, it takes on the form of occupied laws, social taboos and morals."

Religion

"
It was Émile Durkheim's conviction that religion not only stabilized society but also gave direction to it. In the end, society celebrated itself in religion through its rituals and beliefs. The more consensus was achieved on religious dogmas, the more they steered human actions in society and the more morality was to be found in religion. Later on in life, Durkheim thought religious persuasions to be part of the collective consciousness. The stronger they are found to be in society and met by the individual, the more they will be practiced. According to Durkheim, religion enabled societal order, but how is order possible in a "disenchanted" world, that is, a world robbed of its divine shine by science? To Max Weber, religion formed a human answer to everything irrational in life. Only religion could render life meaningful by giving not only norms for everyday life but also answers to existential questions."

Content Pages of the Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Science

Oh, and because I know you don't know who Emilie Durkheim is:

"
David Émile Durkheim (French: [emil dyʁkɛm] or [dyʁkajm];[1] April 15, 1858 – November 15, 1917) was a French sociologist, social psychologist and philosopher. He formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science and father of sociology.[2][3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Durkheim

"In The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, Durkheim’s first purpose was to identify the social origin and function of religion as he felt that religion was a source of camaraderie and solidarity.[41]"

me stupid?
you can't tell the difference between opinion and fact " :It was Émile Durkheim's conviction that religion not only stabilized society but also gave direction to it."
that quote is opinion and subjective...

 

[koshergrl]

Yes, well, his is an educated (and far left leaning) opinion...and as such shows that your opinion is retarded, unusual, and completely at loggerheads with what pretty muich every other educated (or just intelligent) person in the world believes.

Except for the anti-Christian extremist dodos, NOBODY says any different. Religion is recognized as the structure that has held societies together and moved them forward, in all areas that advancement can be made....with regards to law, science, art, EVERYTHING.

 

[daws101]

Yes, well, his is an educated (and far left leaning) opinion...and as such shows that your opinion is retarded, unusual, and completely at loggerheads with what pretty muich every other educated (or just intelligent) person in the world believes.

Except for the anti-Christian extremist dodos, NOBODY says any different. Religion is recognized as the structure that has held societies together and moved them forward, in all areas that advancement can be made....with regards to law, science, art, EVERYTHING.

false

Beginning of Religion
Our awareness of religion and the spirit world probably began at the time of the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution, about 50,000 years ago. Religion is considered to be one of the cultural universals, a trait common to all human cultures worldwide right throughout the history of humanity. It would have developed alongside other cultural universals that were also evolving at this time such as art, music and of course language which is key to the origin and development of all the cultural universals. But when did it all begin? How did we get the idea that there is a divine power in control of us?

Early Agriculture and Religion
Could there be a link between agriculture and religion. The first farmers began to cultivate crops in Mesopotamia over 10,000 years ago. Driven by necessity or just convenience, the nomadic hunter-gathers of the time began to settle in the one location and learn the art of farming. Farming may have given us the building blocks of organised religion.

Farming manipulates nature, but at the end of the day both with the advanced farming technology we have today and as far back as 10,000 years ago we still need the sun to shine and rain to fall to produce a good harvest. And throughout the world today many farmers pray for a good harvest. It's not difficult to see that ancient man may too have carried out this practice, and a relationship developed between man and nature, man and God, a sort of unwritten agreement, a contract, where man pleads with God or prays to God for sunshine and rain. And as time moved forward it came to pass that this contract required a special day of the week, separate from work days, when prayer could take place. Also required was a special place where the contract could be honoured along with skilled people who would administer the carrying out of the contract. Perhaps the motto pray now, eat later is apt. In effect we can see where the apparatus of organised religion, the sabbath, the church and the priest, may have stemmed from.

Cave Art and Religion
And further back in time we find more evidence of religion. Throughout the world we find Palaeolithic Cave Art and in many of these caves, such as the Gargas caves in France, there appears to be a religious influence behind the art. Many experts agree, including Dr. Jean Clottes that our ancestors looked for and were aware of the spirit world deep inside dark foreboding caves. This was where they thought the supernatural world could be contacted, or where they could leave signs for the spirits.

Gargas Cave Art



Religion - when, why and how did it begin?


Religion is considered to be one of the cultural universals, a trait common to all human cultures worldwide right throughout the history of humanity. It would have developed alongside other cultural universals that were also evolving at this time such as art, music and of course language which is key to the origin and development of all the cultural universals.

 

[koshergrl]

Lol...I'm sure you think you said something important there, Miss Malaprop. I'm pretty sure that what you think you're saying, and what you actually said, are completely unrelated, however.

 

[daws101]

Lol...I'm sure you think you said something important there, Miss Malaprop. I'm pretty sure that what you think you're saying, and what you actually said, are completely unrelated, however.

and you be wrong....given up the pretense of debate and went right to false accusations...
I did say something very important, as always it's too subtle for you to grasp!

 

[koshergrl]

Sure you did!!!!! Subtle is your middle name...Or is it Suttle?

 

[QuickHitCurepon]

Our awareness of religion and the spirit world probably began at the time of the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution, about 50,000 years ago.

The cavemen suddenly got it, huh?

And why didn't earlier cavemen believe in anything? They were too busy looking at how to start a blaze?

Basically, it says in the Old Testament under Moses, I AM THAT I AM. If you are alive, you are aware of God, unless you're a rock.

 

[Hollie]

Our awareness of religion and the spirit world probably began at the time of the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution, about 50,000 years ago.

The cavemen suddenly got it, huh?

And why didn't earlier cavemen believe in anything? They were too busy looking at how to start a blaze?

Basically, it says in the Old Testament under Moses, I AM THAT I AM. If you are alive, you are aware of God, unless you're a rock.

Although, depending upon your geographic place of birth, the god or gods you believe in will be quantitatively different.

Shiva is obviously the "correct", true and extant god.

We can believe you're a rock if you're not aware of Shiva?

 

[Hollie]

Our awareness of religion and the spirit world probably began at the time of the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution, about 50,000 years ago.

The cavemen suddenly got it, huh?

And why didn't earlier cavemen believe in anything? They were too busy looking at how to start a blaze?

Basically, it says in the Old Testament under Moses, I AM THAT I AM. If you are alive, you are aware of God, unless you're a rock.

Although, depending upon your geographic place of birth, the god or gods you believe in will be quantitatively different.

Shiva is obviously the "correct", true and extant god.

We can believe you're a rock if you're not aware of Shiva?

 

[daws101]

Sure you did!!!!! Subtle is your middle name...Or is it Suttle?

suttle..... the weight that remains after the tare is deducted.
a swing and a miss...strike three!

 

[daws101]

Our awareness of religion and the spirit world probably began at the time of the Upper Paleolithic Revolution, about 50,000 years ago.

The cavemen suddenly got it, huh?

And why didn't earlier cavemen believe in anything? They were too busy looking at how to start a blaze?

Basically, it says in the Old Testament under Moses, I AM THAT I AM. If you are alive, you are aware of God, unless you're a rock.

lo! cavemen?
I thought you were brighter than this ?
no one knows what exactly what Paleolithic people believed. all the evidence says is they had some sort of spiritual awareness .
you're making as false assumption if you think they believed in the monotheistic sky faerie you do .

 

[koshergrl]

Sure you did!!!!! Subtle is your middle name...Or is it Suttle?

suttle..... the weight that remains after the tare is deducted.
a swing and a miss...strike three!

It's also a good English surname, genius.

Suttle Family Crest and History

 

[daws101]

Sure you did!!!!! Subtle is your middle name...Or is it Suttle?

suttle..... the weight that remains after the tare is deducted.
a swing and a miss...strike three!

It's also a good English surname, genius.

Suttle Family Crest and History

in this instance completely irrelevant...genius...