Religion and society - chicken and egg?

Question

I beleive that modern Religion sprung into existense as humans started to live in communities. I belive that human nature is fundamentally selfish so in order to exist in a society there must be rules and punishments and the natural progression is a God in some form who exacts reward punishment. What do you think?

Answer 1

I agree completely. Religion uses the mightiest weapon of them all - self loathing. You feel guilty, all by yourself, because the sins you commit are forbidden by an unseen god who exacts total control over everything. You have no one to be mad at but yourself, therefore you can't act out in a defensive manner because who are you to act out against? Religion is the greatest form of societal control we've ever seen, or probably will ever see.

Answer 2

I beleive that modern Religion sprung into existense as humans started to live in communities. I belive that human nature is fundamentally selfish so in order to exist in a society there must be rules and punishments and the natural progression is a God in some form who exacts reward punishment.

Answer 3

I disagree. Though I will say yes, man is selfish, I don't believe that religion came into existence to in order for men to live together in communities. Neither do I believe that law and community came into existence at the same time.
Codified law, law that is for all members of a community, rather than social codes pertaining to family groups came into existence as a result of men gathering into communities.
Religion, I believe, came into existence as man struggled to understand the world around him. There is a need for explanations, a need for some way to make sense of that which cannot be explained. Religion fit the need. By the time that extended family groups came together with other similar groups to form communities, there was already belief in something greater among these groups.
Your question doesn't fit the chicken and egg.....sorry.

Answer 4

I believe that society cannot exist without order. That order is established through law, which is nothing more than codified morality.

In earlier society, religion was the way to establish law, true, but I don't think religion is a revelation from a divine source. It was merely the most effective means to an end.

This is not to say there is or isn't a God, merely that man would have invented religion and the concept of God regardless. God isn't relevant to the question in my mind - which was about religion itself.

So to answer the question, I think LAW and society came to be at the same time - law is part of society and they cannot exist independently of one another. Law is partly what defines society in the first place. It doesn't matter whether that law is based on religion or not. For that matter, it can be argued that religion is actually based on law - 10 Commandments being a re-write of the Code of Hammurabi. Primitive tribes having rules for its members since the beginning of mankind itself.

Answer 5

Religion is a way and a constitution for man to follow for his good. It has been revealed to man, time and again. Now if, Religion was written in heavens before the birth of man, that's another story.
However, Society existed first, and the Religion was revealed after. So, no question of Chicken and Egg.

Answer 6

I gotta stick with the idea that religion came from early human's ignorance and fear of the unknown.
I imagine humans have always lived in a community of some sort. There's always been strength (and a lessening of fear) in numbers.
An example of a possible conversation..."Let's give the monster (god?) living in the volcano someone to play with and in return it may not send the hot mud after us."

Answer 7

What does it matter? The laws are there, obey them. God doesnt do the punnishing, the justice system does.

Answer 8

I tottaly disagree with you because no other religion talk about selfishness as much as islam if any onne is muslim and a good muslim is not selfish

Answer 9

Yes I totally agree with you.