What is the oldest religion or belief and the first? I don't mean the oldest still practiced.?

Answer 1

I would like to change what I wrote and say that History says that Polytheism is the oldest recorded belief which is believing in many gods and that originated with Hinduism which is the oldest organized religion recorded in history.

Many other ancient cultures believed in Polytheism too, such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Answer 2

The belief in Thor, Neptune, etc. was the first society-based religion (greeks). But a belief in a higher life form has existed ever since man formed tribes. Rain was even godlike at one point. All the "pagan" beliefs were compiled and sorted into the bible- the old testament.
Buddhism began around 5th century BCE with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in Ancient India.
The monks' order (Sangha), which began during the lifetime of the Buddha in India, is among the oldest organizations on earth.
And it's not even a religion! But if you read its teachings you'll find many similarities to those that came after, albeit edited to profit a few!

Answer 3

There is almost no way of knowing since religion started way before anyone wrote anything down.

The oldest WRITTEN, last time I checked, was Dravidianism.

Edit: I am literally floored by the amount of ignorance in this question. How can this be?

Islam is one of the youngest of the major players. The Abrahamic religions go in this order - Judaism, Christianity, Islam.

Adam & Eve is NOT a religion, and isn't even close to being the first. More like one of the last.

Wicca isn't even a century old.

Answer 4

My dictionary defines religion as the service or worship of God or the supernatural. Therefore I would think that when God gave Adam and Eve commands that set up a religion of sort. Even before Eve, Adam had the task of naming the animals, so you could say the religion began with him. Perhaps a form of patriarchy since he had dominion over the earth. In particular, Job and Abraham were patriarchs also.

Answer 5

The oldest religion in existence is the true worship of the Creator as initially practiced in Eden.

Among the many eternal beauties of true religion are:

▪ It is based on the truth of an infallible God, whose name is Jehovah, upon whom we can unconditionally rely.—Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 55:10, 11.

▪ It is available to everyone with a humble heart, not reserved for only those with superior intelligence.—Matthew 11:25; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28.

▪ It is blind to race, social status, and economic position.—Acts 10:34, 35; 17:24-27.

▪ It offers the well-grounded hope of life in a world of peace and security without sorrow, sickness, misery, and death.—Isaiah 32:18; Revelation 21:3, 4.

▪ It provides a framework within which its members can live as a worldwide loyal brotherhood, united in doctrine, conduct, and spirit.—Psalm 133:1; John 13:35.

▪ It offers everyone—man, woman, and child—an opportunity to share actively in God’s work, filling life with purpose.—1 Corinthians 15:58; Hebrews 13:15, 16.

▪ It warns us of hidden dangers, instructing us how to conduct ourselves so as to be benefited.—Proverbs 4:10-13; Isaiah 48:17, 18.

And why can it be said that these beauties are eternal? Simply because they will last as long as does true religion itself—forever.

Answer 6

The oldest known religion is that of the Indo-Europeans. Scholars reconstruct its beliefs by analyzing the Indo-European elements in many ancient mythological systems, but especially the beliefs of the ancient Hittites, Greeks, Persians and Indians.

Scholars know that ancient Neolithic peoples had their own religious systems, but there is no way to pin down any hard details. Everything we known is derived from analyzing neolithic monuments (like Stonehenge) and burial sites.

Answer 7

We know little of the earliest religions because it many cases they were mere folk religions with no written texts. As to what is documentable,probably ( dead religions) that of the Chaldeans and of the living that would unmistakably be Hinduism. Zoroastrianism is an offshhot of the vedic faith,and Judaism is a hodgepodge of Zoroastrian and Egyptian beliefs.

Answer 8

Hinduism is probably the oldest religion that is still commonly practised
Zoroastrianism is probably the oldest organised religion though

Answer 9

Well, personally I think it would be Pagan or a form of it. People in early times worshiped the Sun. The Sea. The Sky.
False gods galore.

Answer 10

Simple belief in the afterlife. The neanderthals practiced ceremonial burial and buried people with prized possessions which the tribe could have used, indicating they thought somehow our earthly possessions followed us into the next life.