Is it a fair yet safe assessment to say that all religions evolved from a previous religion before the newer religion that came from an older religion? Can that be seen as a form of evolution? Maybe a slightly different form of evolution sort of non biological evolution?
2007-03-23 06:42:37 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's called a "meme".
A "meme" refers to a "unit of cultural information" which can propagate from one mind to another in a manner analogous to genes (i.e., the units of genetic information). A meme propagates itself as a unit of cultural evolution and diffusion — analogous in many ways to the behavior of the gene. Often memes propagate as more-or-less integrated cooperative sets or groups, referred to as memeplexes or meme-complexes.
2007-03-23 06:48:58 · answer #1 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yep and there a researchers currently studying the evolution of belief. There's a book around my house somewhere called 6 things you'll never remember before breakfast or something like that that discusses the evolution of belief. The New York Times Magazine just had an article about this 2 weeks ago. Very interesting stuff.
2007-03-23 13:49:21 · answer #2 · answered by Yogini 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd be hesitant to say that all religions evolved from a previous one, on the other hand, it's clear that some religions build on or borrow from of previous ones. Also religions tend to change as man's perspective changes as well. Loosely you could term it evolution but not in a strict sense.
2007-03-23 13:49:42 · answer #3 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe. It is to a degree a matter of definition. Nowadays, the term "religion" tends to imply a more or less organized set of beliefs, based on a small set of theological concepts. I suspect that that was not always true; consider the panoply of deities present in earlier mythologies such as Greek, Roman, and Egyptian. About the only common elements were ascription of particular deities to particular facets of human existence, and that is thin gruel for a theory of a common origin.
2007-03-23 13:50:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. They do evolve with society. As often as we throw it at people in here, we don't see them stoning people in the streets (well, except in the Middle East... but I wouldn't call that place evolved on the same level Europe and America is). So it does evolve... it's just that a lot of people like to cling on to that "Ol' Time Religion" when it was ok to drag someone outside and beat the **** out of them - without getting in trouble.
2007-03-23 13:55:52 · answer #5 · answered by Kithy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure, religion does grow and evolve, most have not maintained the same form with which they started out.
2007-03-23 13:49:53 · answer #6 · answered by lotusmoon01 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow. Yes. While I don't believe in Evolution as in the way humans came to be, I sure do believe that we all evolve and that ideas and theologies evolve. We are human, our minds are ever changing and hopefully, ever expanding.
2007-03-23 13:46:59 · answer #7 · answered by socmum16 ♪ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it is most definately a fair and safe assessment to say that. For once, a person who looks at the beginnings of western civilization for answers - instead of the book of brainstems.
2007-03-23 13:47:16 · answer #8 · answered by Virgo 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is a form of evolution ... however, I also see it as enlightenment and walking toward wisdom. Kinda God opening more to our eyes when we are ready for it.
If you teach a child "Calculas" without teaching the child to add, multiply, algebra, geometry, & trigonometry ... well, you're wasting time ... and since God is wise, he had to teach us in baby steps.
2007-03-23 14:02:49 · answer #9 · answered by Giggly Giraffe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure.
All religions stem from the original belief in the One God.
2007-03-23 14:01:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋