...why prehistoric people invented religion? If there really is a God, why are there so many religions? Wouldn't he have made himself known to everyone from the beginning instead of only making himself known to the Jews?
2007-05-26 18:28:45 · 14 answers · asked by AuroraDawn 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That should be "if Christians ever wonder why...".
2007-05-26 18:29:43 · update #1
*tuberoot*
Israelite, hebrew, and jew were all the same people. The names were just from different periods of time. The name Jew came form Judah.
Although the terms "Hebrew" and "Israelite" continued in use into the New Testament period (eg Rom 9:4; 2 Cor 11:22; Phil 3:5), by then the term "Jew" was more commonly used. This originally referred to a member of the southern tribe of Judah (which is it's use in Jer 32:12; 34:9), but after the Babylonian Exile it came to replace "Israelite" as the most widely-used term for one of God's covenant people. This was because, by that time, virtually all Israelites were in fact members of the tribe of Judah, as the northern tribes ("Israel" in the narrow sense) had lost their identity after the fall of Samaria in 722 BC. The exceptions were chiefly members of the tribe of Benjamin (Ezra 1:5; Phil 3:5), which had been linked with Judah since the division of the kingdom.
2007-05-26 18:49:50 · update #2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough
2007-05-26 21:56:44 · answer #1 · answered by Miltant_Agnostic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've always wondered about that. I mean if everyone in the ancient world was related to Adam and Eve, wouldn't they have had the story passed down about the Garden and everything?
"Back when your grandfather was younger, he was the only man in the world. He and his wife got kicked out of paradise for eating an apple after God told them not to. And that's why you're gonna die someday."
The oldest religion still going is Hinduism, which is pretty dissimilar to that. And yes, cro-magnon man and earlier had religious rituals. Creationists are surprisingly silent on that.
2007-05-27 01:55:59 · answer #2 · answered by ajj085 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The understanding is that God did reveal Himself to mankind, but mankind refused to retain Him in their memory. As time went on, man made gods in their own image so that they would feel better about their own sin, but they strayed far from the true God that actually exists; the one that actually had conversation with our foreparents. God did not "choose" the Jews, they didn't exist. He made them from Abraham who was a Chaldean. He revealed Himself through one people that He created, for the express purpose of using them to reach everyone in the world. Prehistoric people did not "invent" religion, they only failed to live up to that which was already known to be true. God wants every one to know Him, and that is why Christ came. For you. He has now made Himself known to you. What will you do with that knowledge?
2007-05-27 01:38:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
prehistoric people didn't start religion the Jews did and there is so many because everyone wants to be right and this religion is different in this and that but as far as God making himself known in the beginning ....well I guess you would just had to been there. Could you possibly imagine the beginnings with God and then walking with him in the garden?
2007-05-27 01:42:55 · answer #4 · answered by truely human 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You've thought about religion correctly. God would have to have revealed himself to the first parents first. All subsequent religions are then man made.
However the Jews are part of the answer since they held the true account of God's revelation to mankind. That first he was the creator. Then he became our Savior.
2007-05-27 01:48:50 · answer #5 · answered by Uncle Remus 54 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think people invent religion for all sorts of reasons which is why you see so many religions. As far as Christianity, though many aspects we know today were invented by man, the faith aspect was invented by God. And quite frankly, it's the only part that really counts! And God did make Himself known to all creation and continues to make Himself known today. People just dont' pay attention! I hope that helps... Be blessed.
2007-05-27 01:42:00 · answer #6 · answered by Cool Dad 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think that for all of human history people of all races have had experiences that can be described as mystical, spiritual and delightful. Religion is the human attempt to put these experiences into words. Unfortunately describing the spiritual with words is like carving a roast beef with a toothpick. These attempts at describing the experiences behind belief have led instead to the implementation of sets of rules - rather than attempting to define spirituality, we are letting religion define us.
2007-05-27 01:39:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
You got it wrong. Adam and Eve were not Jews. Abraham was not a Jew. Jacob was not a Jew. Moses was not a Jew. I tihnk that you are confusing history with something that is commonly convienient. When are you going to realize that there are more things going on with this than you know? That maybe you should learn what there is to know before you try to tell us about something?
"Jew" does not equal "Hebrew". Start there.
2007-05-27 01:43:42 · answer #8 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As people began to multiply, some who have branched away, began to serve the gods that they created.
And because man had sinned in the beginning, the plan was to create man so that there was no sin in him. That meant that a sinless man had to come and be one of us and experience the life of a man to give us a message that a new covenant was in force.
But, we had to believe him first.......
Thing is, before he could be one of us, he had to come through a pure people who was upright and followed a True God. That the Jews were. God was with them in the beginning and will have them in His name in the end.
The Jews were so strict about following after the True God, that they literally would put their own people out, if they failed any of the Mosaic laws that followed after the 10 commandments........ Would even kill some....
Religions branched off as men multiplied to understanding the faith in the New Covenant. As there were preist and preachers, they understood differently, or found that faith lacking and branched off as another faith thinking that solved the delimna. But, then there were hundreds of faiths, with only one thing in common: they believed in that One thing greater than self!
Your sister,
Ginger
2007-05-27 01:37:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Who would invent something that would get them killed. If God didn't have a first group of people to keep the law no one would have recognized Jesus when he came.
2007-05-27 01:36:37 · answer #10 · answered by yaabro 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Try Dawkins' book "The God Delusion". He suspects that we evolved to listen to authority when we are kids - "Don't swim with the crocodiles, and I really mean it!!" - and this carries over to adult life - " Kill a sheep or the sun won't rise tomorrow, and I really mean it!!'.
Also it comforts a lot of people not to have to think much. God tells them what to do and what to think. In the case of christians it's unfortunately who to hate as well.
2007-05-27 01:36:19 · answer #11 · answered by Tom P 6 · 3⤊ 4⤋