What is the first ever religion?

Question

Was is christianity, islam , hinduism, bhuddism, scientology, or one of the others?

What about scientology though? anyone like to comment?

Answer 1

It's called animism. Animism is what all religions, faiths and beliefs stem from. This is the belief that all things around you have a soul. The concept that there is something more, and that we are more than we can see.

Answer 2

To above posts;

How the hell could it be Christianity or Islam? Christianity started after the death of Jesus, less than 2000 years ago. Islam started even later than that with the teachings of Mohammed.
If you're going along with the Abrahamic religions then at least acknowledge jewdaism as surely being the oldest out of the three; the other two stemmed from it after all.

Please; use your brains.

In response to the question; as previously stated Animism could be the oldest religion; however, there could easily be older religions that were not documented by their followers. I would tentatively suggest the first religion was established around the time of the large volcanic eruption that wiped out all but the best 2000 of the human race; being as that is when there started being documented evidence of cave drawing designs, jewellery etc. (although i could easily have my facts wrong on that)

Answer 3

Animism.

This gradually developed into a "Sky Father, Earth Mother" belief system within a broad range of cultures . . . the Proto-Indo-European motifs which came from *that* influenced everything from Vedic Hinduism to Hellenic paganism to Northern European heathenry. Drop the Earth Mother, and you've got Judeochristianity.

However, there is *some* evidence of a Neanderthal proto-belief: beargod worship. No foolin'!

Answer 4

Well Islam says that Adam and Eve were Muslims (as in followers of God) but the oldest ORGANISED religion recorded by history is Dravidianism (dates 6000 - 3000 Before Christ) which is the root of today's Hinduism (The oldest religion alive today).

Answer 5

The first-ever religion would have begun when the first man considered his mortality. He looked to the sky, and thought there must be a Higher Power, who had some kinda control over seemingly random events. In all cultures, on all continents, this wondering became the beginnings of Paganism, and much later became those newer belief systems you referred to.

Answer 6

OK, there's two ways of looking at this.

The oldest religion that is currently in practice is Hinduism, which began around 1500BC.

Before that, you're getting into whats called proto-religion, which goes back to some 100000 years BC and originated in eastern africa. The problem is that neanderthal man probably wasn't smart enough to actually generate a full religion, and could only worship in the most basic forms, such as the sun god.

Answer 7

There were skulls found from over 10,000 years ago that have holes in them. Presumably they were cut out to let the bad spirits out.

The first settlers to creat a religion was the Egyptian people starting around 3000BC.

Answer 8

One of the others. There were various Ancient Pagan religions way before any of the ones you listed. Those Ancient Pagan religious are not the same as Neo-Pagan ones though so all of the current day religions are in the same boat.

Answer 9

I think it was shamanism or animism that predates all of the major religions of today. It even predates the old Roman Gods, Greek Gods and Hindu Gods. Animism was belief in the spirit of animals and the power associated with them. The Shaman was the "priest" of this religion. It was popular due to the fact that people relied heavily on animals for their survival at that time.

Answer 10

It honestly depends on your view of the creation of humanity. Since human beings have been able to process abstract thoughts they have considered the question of what exists beyond existence, their purpose for being, and how they came to be.

I'm sure the first religion was probably silent contemplation.