What Is The Oldest Extant Religion?

Answer 1

Hinduism is the oldest known religion.
It was put into writing 1,500 B.C.E.
(before common era)

Answer 2

I would have to guess religions that focus on "Mother Earth" or a similar mother-type goddess, as women have generally been the primary teachers and care-takers of mankind. Moreover, it is said that the first societies were, in fact, matriarchal societies. Mother-goddess religions are still extant though not very popular in this male-dominated world.

Answer 3

Aboriginal Australians? There are still groups out there that live the same way, or in a similar way, that their ancestors were tens of thousands of years ago, in the Americas, Australia, Africa. I don't think anyone could point at any one and say that yes, they have the oldest religion, but their beliefs may not have changed too much over the millenia.

Answer 4

Australian Aboriginal. It's the oldest continuing culture in the world, traceable back at least 50,000 years (so, wow, it predated the creation of the world as some have calculated from Genesis!). Across a very large extent of that time (calculated by some authorities to cover about 30,000 years at least) it has featured creation beings of the Dreamtime, consistently recorded in cave paintings and rock carvings, and apparently handed on consistently in oral traditions shaping the culture. Much of those traditions incorporate the ethos, ethics, and morality to which Christianity etc for instance claims proprietorial rights these days - but the Aboriginal religious ethos goes much further, incorporating recognition of human dependence on natural ecology and legislating for the preservation and nurture of "country". So they may not have invented the wheel or built Towers of Babel - but knew truths most of humanity forgot as we exploited the planet and each other and ended up with climate change. It's a point to ponder. I'd add that the Australian Aborigines, although they resisted colonisation, have always shown the most remarkable forbearance and even forgiveness in dealing with white and other colonisers - and incredible generosity in willingness to share. Even without the imported "superior" religions that deprived, exploited, and largely destroyed them. So that's another point to ponder.

Answer 5

One could argue that a form of nature worship is the oldest. Its evolved into many different manifestations, such as neo-paganism and wicca now. We know that it was practiced by the Celts (as noted by the Romans). Different forms of nature respect and worship have been observed by all indigenous groups. However, there is no written tradition, which we unfortunately seem to need to label it as a "religion". And as the Romans and later missionaries came into contact with these religions, they tried to eradicate or convert them because they were seen as inferior.

Answer 6

Zoroastrianism is older than Judaism. You can still find people who follow it in remote parts of Iran, (regardless of what is in the news about how Iran is a strict Islamic country). The religion was began in Persia and was the first to talk of one God.

Answer 7

Dharmic based religions are believed to be the oldest global religion base (Hindus, Buddha and Jainism), it is believed from artifacts that such religion base was founded during the Neolitic period... Artifacts from this periods have been found with swastika symbols (especially pottery).

Answer 8

The young is ignorant the depiction of jesus is influenced by dionysus (a wine god, the son of a mortal woman and a sky god, whose rites involved ecstatic dancing--this was true of early christianity)
I cite a good site:
The Eden motif itself, and the biblical tale of the flood, are in fact far older than the Bible, dating at least to the civilization of ancient Sumer. In the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh (ca. 2000BCE), King Gilgamesh's noble savage rival and companion Enkidu is reduced from idyllic immortality to civilized mortality through hapless sinful union with a fallen woman. In a subsequent quest for immortality, Gilgamesh finds a magical plant in the sea, but is robbed of his prize by a serpent. Many other details of the tale are echoed in the Hebrew Bible.

Answer 9

All three known religions were started about the same time, long Before Jesus. I would guess with my friend the Australian Aborigines religion, these ancient religions have a start far earlier then anything modern man started.

It was Abraham that was known as the Father of religions, all three of the largest faiths Christian, Muslim and Buddhism religions, were given credit to Him.

Answer 10

Conscious Contact.