The youngest religion on earth. The most ancient religions in the world.

Traditionally, issues of faith cause the most controversy and debate. How many copies have been broken in finding out which religion is the most correct, which one deeper reflects the essence of man and the world, which one is better than all the others.

And very rarely, such debates are peaceful. Most often, exhausting all the arguments, the participants grab onto clubs (in ancient times), swords (closer to us) or bombs and rockets (today).

The Archdiocese of Paraiba, because of its vacancy, in joyful anticipation, in the maternal arms of Our Lady of Snow, her patron, is the reason for the appointment of the next Metropolitan Archbishop, "the visible principle of unity and communion", "master of the faith", sanctuary and spiritual guide. May the history of Paraiba continue to be written with faith in God and be nourished by the devotion of Our Lady of Snow!

The message has been contacted several times with the Paraiba Spiritual Federation, but calls have not been answered. Religions of African matrices. He also left his message to people. I am very proud to be Paraiba of one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. All his sons and daughters must keep it this way, because as one of the oldest cities in Brazil, it brings together the culture of the Paraiba people, João Pessoa is Paraiba in gesture, action and nature. I wish all of us people, a lot of happiness on the anniversary of our city.

As a result, it may seem that such disputes have been carried on forever, and just as forever, religion has surrounded a person. But this is far from the case. And even the most ancient religions of the world appeared in the quite foreseeable past, which only confirms this. So, let's see what our distant ancestors actually believed in and how exactly they did it.

Forerunners of religion

Sometimes it is believed that any belief in supernatural forces is already a religion. But scholars clearly list its main characteristics, separating them from mythology and primitive beliefs. Each of these forms of worldview was based on the previous one, logically proceeding from it. Therefore, in order to understand the ancient religions, you need to briefly describe their forerunners.

Addressing the topic of religion is not easy because - speaking and reflecting on it - questions arise that relate to our very existence. Here they are.

How did the world come about?
What forces are driving history?
Is there something more than us?
What happens to us when we die?

According to Heernn et al. Existential questions arise in all cultures and form the basis of all religions. According to him, there is no race or tribe of records that did not have some kind of religion. Therefore, we can understand how these questions are universal and inalienable for humans.

Ancient beliefs

Ancient beliefs are relatively simple. Man did not distinguish much between himself, a tree, a stone, a stream and a wolf. Just think, one is lying on the ground and does not run anywhere, while the other regularly howls in the nearest forest, still each of them is alive in his own way.

This is how:

Animism - faith in living, in the literal sense of the word, nature.
Totemism - the belief that a wolf, an owl or a deer can be the closest relative, if not by blood, then exactly by spirit.
Fetishism - but not in the modern sense, but as a belief in the possibility of the thought process in inanimate objects.
Shamanism and magic - the belief that some people can interact not only with their fellow tribesmen, but also with the spirits of everything that surrounds them.

In a sense, these beliefs are the oldest religions. But in them, a person did not separate himself from the world around him, he lived next to him, and everyone was easy and comfortable.

To check the consistency of such a requirement, we look for data on the origin of the religion. An etymological study of late antiquity and many modern scholars associates "religion" with Latin religion in the sense of establishing an obligation between them; the relationship between people and gods. Another possible origin comes from the Greek religions, in the sense of caution. In this case, caution means a certain system of belief.

This work is based on two authors who have different concepts of religion. In modern religions of religion, the idea that religion is an independent element associated with a social element and a psychological element, but which has its own structure, religion, is understood by a group of believers united by a more or less organized institution. These believers are bound by tradition, common beliefs and rites, participating in a more or less codified doctrine.

Mythology

But then mythology appeared - a slightly complicated previous version. In it, animals also easily turned into people, people became plants, rocks came to life or, on the contrary, people turned to stone. But entities have already appeared that surpass this strange cycle - the gods (so far - in the plural). Although the line between them and people was also quite fragile. The gods gladly tricked or helped people, those, to the best of their ability, took revenge on them or begged for various gingerbread, but, in general, it was a single closed system. Anyone also knows examples:

To facilitate a general view of religious phenomena as concretely formulated in time and space, Urbano Zilles uses the following classification: primitive religions; The religion of wisdom; Prophetic religions; Spiritualistic religions; Philosophical mystics and superstitions.

In this work, we will try to highlight the main characteristics of modern religions: Hinduism; Buddhism; Judaism; Islam; Christianity. By Hinduism, we mean a collection or mosaic of religions and philosophies; different and sometimes conflicting mythologies and rules. Opposing core beliefs and opposing systems of philosophy are tolerated within Hinduism if they do not openly reject the authority of the Vedic scriptures. To be Hindu one must accept the Vedic scriptures and participate, by birth, in the social structure. The Hindu social system is based on rules and customs that govern relations between social groups. The caste system is a hierarchical system in which differentiated social groups do not have equality and do not have the same responsibilities, as well as the same rights and privileges. Hinduism has some characteristics, although they are not everywhere: respect for antiquity and tradition; belief in the authority of sacred books; the constancy of the caste system; trust in spiritual mentors, so-called gurus; belief in successive reincarnation. Buddhist teaching begins with the "four sacred truths": life itself suffers because everything is unstable. The end of pain is a consequence of good success, holiness or dignity - negatively, nirvana, and positively, happiness.

It is the main religion in India with over 500 million followers.
In Buddhism, a balance is sought between the art of living and renunciation.
This path leads to calmness and tranquility here and now.
Origin is craving or desire that comes from ignorance.

Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

Greek myths is a multi-part love-tragicomic film about the relationship of a dozen Olympian gods, a myriad of smaller gods and goddesses, many incomprehensible creatures like satyrs, nymphs and other centaurs-minotaurs and people.
Ancient Roman mythology is the same serial film adapted to Roman conditions.
Egyptian myths - passions around the solar cycle, its birth, death, next birth - and further in a circle with the participation of hybrid gods.
Indian mythology is a mixture of beliefs of several hundred tribes and nationalities that inhabited today's India, absolutely incomprehensible to a stranger.
Slavic mythology is the basis of many fairy tales familiar to us from childhood. As a rule, in the original version, reading them to children is not recommended in order to avoid stress.

You can continue in this spirit for a very long time, because each nation had its own mythology, and sometimes even several.

Currently, some adherents of Judaism believe in the Messiah as a divine being, but most regard this as a “divine age,” a time of peace and brotherhood. In addition to forming a religion, they also form a historically closely related ethnic group. The Jews had great periods of persecution. In the Middle Ages, they were condemned and accused of killing Jesus. During the Renaissance it was forbidden to own land; hence their well-known trade traditions, the only alternative left to them. The latest major persecution was that Nazi Germany destroyed nearly half of the world's Jewish population. One great Jewish movement is Zionism: the return of Jews to Israel. Since they were not well received in other countries, this idea was well defended. With the creation of the State of Israel, there was massive immigration, mainly of Russian Jews. The main Jewish holy book is the Torah; The Old Testament is for Christians, but organized differently and without the books of Psalms and Proverbs. In the Torah there are laws passed by God to the chosen people. In Judaism, alcohol is allowed - in moderation - and tobacco is allowed. The wine must come from Jewish producers. Gambling is discouraged. In addition, there is an extensive list of prohibited foods. Circumcision is a tradition and must be done eight days after birth. A man - at the age of 13 - walks through the Mitzvah Bar, a ceremony of transition to adulthood. Because of circumcision, the rate of uterine cancer in Jewish women is much lower than in other ethnic groups. Family and marriage are of paramount importance to Jews. Marriage is considered an ideal lifestyle close to the Will of God. Orthodox Jews usually only marry each other. Monotheist, accounts for 15% of the world's population; being the second largest religion in the world. It is the fastest growing religion due to the high fertility rate of Muslim women. It is said that Muhammad was ordered to prophesy the message of Allah the Angel Gabriel while he was meditating in a cave. Although he faced opposition from many people devoted to paganism, he gathered many followers on his trip to Mecca in 615, where he preached. This year Hijra was in Medina. In 627, Muhammad returned with his followers to Mecca, conquering the city. “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet” is a phrase that summarizes the Muslim principle. The five pillars of religion in this order are: creed; prayer; charity; quickly and the pilgrimage to Mecca, which must be performed at least once in a lifetime by every Muslim who has the financial and medical conditions for this. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs in general, and gambling are completely prohibited. Women must wear the Chador, from menarche to the end of their lives. The size, shape and location required for use depends on the customs of each region. Divorce is permitted, although Muhammad said that "this is the least favorable legal activity from God." Despite this guidance, the divorce rate in Muslim-majority countries is the highest in the world. For most Orthodox Christians, only the Qur'an, written in Arabic, has value; but today it is very often accepted to accept in other languages. In the Quran, Muhammad has great respect for Christians, considering them to be very kind and charitable people. He speaks of Jesus as an enlightened person who came to bring goodness and peace to earth, denying but - his divinity. During Arab rule in Jerusalem, Christians were not expelled, and even in times of conflict, it was forbidden to touch any Church or even enter them without permission. Saladin, an Arab military leader, was used to kneeling down and bowing whenever he passed by, because he knew it was an important symbol for someone. The teachings continue to this day; however, Western imperialism ultimately creates hatred among extremist groups. These groups, usually rejected by most Muslims, contribute to terrorist attacks, chaos, social and psychological distress. Another great clash of civilizations is taking place in Europe, where the massive immigration of Turks and Muslim Africans has created friction. On the one hand, immigrants who do not want to give up their traditions but justify leaving their land in search of opportunities, on the other hand, Europeans who see that competition, unemployment and public safety are compromised by these immigrants. In this context, extremist groups are born on both sides, including neo-Nazi inspirations. Christianity is the largest religion in the world in terms of the number of believers, numbering about 2.1 billion of them. Believe in one God - the one who created everything and everyone - although the basis of his faith is the figure of Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior. He believes that after death we await the day of the final judgment, where the eternal life of everyone will be decided. Anyone who believes in Christ and his divinity will have eternal life according to the Bible. As one of the most important figures in the history of mankind, a person can see Jesus in different forms and give many meanings to what he says and teaches. Jesus can be seen as a socialist revolutionary; hippie; conservative; dictator; charlatan; or as the Son of God who came to save us according to the most important currents. Over time, Christianity has developed into several streams. In this work we will look at some: Roman Catholicism; Protestant and Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal churches. Roman Catholicism is the greatest chain of Christianity, reaching about a billion people, almost half of the Christians in the world. According to Catholics, these words, foretold by Christ himself in life, would give Peter the authority to find the true Church of Jesus. Then Peter went to preach in Rome, where he founded the Church; he was considered the first Pope, although historical facts it is said that Peter never set foot in Rome. Catholic Christians have the figure of the Pope, a descendant of Peter; therefore having the right to decide the laws of the Church and be considered infallible. The Pope is considered a descendant of Peter because Jesus said that "no death can overcome him." There is a rigid hierarchy whose purpose is to organize the Church throughout the world and - through missions - to gather followers. The Church itself is of paramount importance. In addition to honoring Christ and God himself, they have a custom of worshiping and asking for gratitude to so-called "holy" people; apart from honoring their images, both pagan and condemned practices of Jesus. Although it has modernized over time, it still supports medieval practices: such as the extreme importance attached to chastity and the condemnation of contraceptive methods; the importance attached to the Eucharist - which sees guilt in the host and in the materialized Jesus - celibacy for priests; Among other things. Revolting from the sale of indulgences conducted by the Catholic Church, it launched its 95 theses about finding resistance in the Catholic Church, founded a new church, widely accepted by the bourgeoisie, already tired of paying taxes to the Church - who wanted to profit without the guilt and threat of the hell that the Pope had set into their heads. Protestant churches deny saints, the Pope, indulgences and reduce the Sacraments to only two: Baptism and the Eucharist. Unlike the Catholic Church, which prohibits the marriage of priests, Protestants accept and even recommend. The Church itself is usually seen as the path to Christ, but it is He who saves; it is He who must be respected. The Protestant Church has split into Calvinists, Baptists, Anglicans, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and others.

Judaism is the oldest of the religions of Abraham.
Abraham is his prophet, and Sarah is the symbol of the ideal woman.
He is based on his faith in the coming of the Messiah.
Islam means "submission", representing the position of people before Allah.
This is not a divine being, like Jesus for Christians, but the messenger of Allah.
Respect and tolerance are taught and obeyed by Muslims in general.
He was born as a sect of Judaism that believed in the coming of the Messiah.
Therefore, for many, the messiah is Jesus.
Martin Luther, a German monk, was responsible for the first dissent in Christianity.
Revered as a libertarian, Luther supported the massacre of peasants.

Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal Churches.

Religions

In such a long and difficult way, we have finally come to religions. So how does even the oldest religion in the world differ from the most recent mythology? The duality of the world. Previously, everything was simple and clear for man: here I am, here are the gods, here is nature, everyone lives together and does not interfere with each other.

But people are not looking for simple ways, and in order to finally complicate and confuse everything, they created religions. In them, God (or gods - not fundamentally) stand out outside this world, placed above it, having the ability to set and create circumstances for those living in it.

A person also receives a double nature: on the one hand, he lives in this world, on the other hand, then he leaves it and goes into a better (or worse, depending on how he behaves). Both the oldest religion and the youngest have such principles.

Examples of ancient religions

To make it a little easier to navigate, here are some examples of the most ancient religions:

Judaism... The first of a series of Abrahamic religions, which also includes Christianity (a very common religion), Islam (also popular) and many of their offshoots.
Taoism... Searching for and following the "path" that each object, phenomenon and person has.
Hinduism... Based on the mythology of this people, only more complicated and confusing. The base for many other religions: Shinto, Krishnaism, Buddhism, Shaivism, Shaktism and many other interesting words.
Zoroastrianism... Fire worship in all possible forms.

From these religions, like mushrooms after the rain, several hundred, or even thousands of new ones developed. And they keep popping up every day. As you can see, the most common religions today are not only not the most ancient, but also secondary, in relation to others.

And this makes it absolutely senseless to search for an answer to the question of which religion is the most ancient, the most correct or the best. All of them have the right not to exist as long as they bring people benefit, joy and an incentive for self-improvement, and not vice versa.

Newest religions

But even today, more and more new religions appear, and not only as offshoots from existing ones, but also completely unique:

Pastafarianism... The adherents believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster and even defended the right to be photographed for a passport in a colander - their sacred piece of clothing.
Kopimism... Sacred symbols for them are the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, and the rite of copying and disseminating information is a religious rite. So the ban on torrent trackers was gracefully bypassed.
Googlism... This youngest religion recognizes Sacred Google as being eternal, immortal and omniscient.

So, even such strange beliefs, not at first glance (and at the second too), are also recognized by religions. It's funny, isn't it?

Instructions

All existing religious teachings are grouped into several main directions, of which Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism are the most famous. A study of the history of the emergence of these religions allows us to draw a conclusion about the religious worship that appeared on earth from the very beginning.

The directions listed above can be divided into 2 groups: "Abrahamic" and "Eastern". The latter includes Hinduism, Buddhism, and a number of related movements that originated in Southeast Asia. While Buddhism appeared in the 6th century BC, thus becoming the same age as Confucianism, Hinduism has a significantly longer experience. It is believed that the earliest date of its origin is 1500 BC. Nevertheless, Hinduism is not any single system of religious teachings, as it unites various schools and cults.

The "Abrahamic" group of religions represents three related directions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam ....

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Today it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of which of the religions is the most ancient, which arose first. Archaeological excavations provide more and more new ground for further conclusions regarding the emergence of religion.

Islam is a young religion

Surrender to God - this is how "Islam" is translated from Arabic. This religion, which is one of the world, originated only in the seventh century. Its followers are Muslims, whose communities are in one hundred and twenty countries. Twenty-three percent of the world's population is Muslim. In forty-nine states, they are the majority.
Islam is the youngest of the major world religions From a historical point of view, it is a very young religion. Gaining personal experience, not harming anyone, openness to the gaze of God - this is what lies at the heart of Islam. Believers believe that only God decides when to create a soul for him, and when to dissolve it, respectively, it does not appear with birth and disappears not at the time of a person's death. According to Muslims ...

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Religion is an integral part of the life of almost every person. The need to worship higher powers is expressed in the spiritual awareness of the world and belief in the supernatural. An interesting question arises about what is the most ancient religion, how it arose and developed.

Having studied all the available information about the Paleolithic period, scientists came to the conclusion that people of this era developed spiritual relationships, as indicated by the customs of ritual burials of that time, as well as rock paintings. Most likely, our ancestors believed that the world was inhabited by deities, and various places and objects of nature were considered alive. In addition, the customs of burial give us an idea of \u200b\u200bthe belief in life after the grave.

But still, what was the most ancient religion? The answers to the question depend on the position taken by various authors studying human origins. Some argue that religion was artificially created by man, and was not the result of evolutionary development. So,...

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Today there are many religions that are trusted by millions of people and impeccably follow their religion. But can someone give an unambiguous answer to the question: "What is the most ancient religion?" On this topic, there is not a small amount of controversy and opinions, and every year archaeologists find the latest evidence and ground for help as to what the very first religion appeared on earth. In this article, we will try to tell you about all the major religions of the world, and also try to find answers to all questions of interest on this topic.

The "youngest" religion in the world

Well, it will be logical if we begin our story with the youngest religion, which, despite its relatively small age in comparison with others, was able to gain a lot of popularity and respect around the world. This is about Islam. Islam translated from Arabic means "surrender to God." Islam has become one of the largest world religions, and at the moment ...

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What world religion appeared earlier than others?

Before answering this question, it is necessary to clearly indicate why, among many different religions, only a few have been awarded the status of world religions, what are their differences. Today on the globe there are more than twenty thousand different faiths, religious movements and sects. As for the world religions, there are only three of them. Surely their names are familiar to everyone: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. And they are distinguished by their scale: they are professed all over the world, and regardless of political, national and cultural factors. Indeed, real Christians can be found both in developed european countries, and in the abandoned settlements of Africa. The same cannot be said about Shintoism or, say, about Judaism, whose influence is delineated by a certain territory. Contrary to popular misconception, the oldest world religion is not Hinduism, which arose in the 15th century. BC, and not even paganism, which appeared even earlier. It's proud ...

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You can often hear the point of view that Islam is the youngest religion in the world, which appeared much later than Christianity, Judaism and other religious teachings. In addition, there is one more opinion that the Koran is the only holy book for Muslims, that they believe only in it and deny other scriptures. Many believe that Muslims recognize the only prophet only Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), indicating that he is the founder of the Islamic doctrine.

But is it really so? To answer this question, first of all, consider the meaning of the word "religion". Religion is faith, spiritual faith, worship of God. Religion is divided into monotheism, belief in one Single Creator, the Most High, and pantheism - polytheism, belief in several deities at the same time. Monotheism was sent down by the Almighty, and pantheism is invented by the people themselves. Mankind learned about this through the divine Scriptures: Scrolls sent down to certain prophets ...

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The Hierarchy has transmitted to the Earth the idea of \u200b\u200bthe Absolute - the Single supreme principle of the Universe, which permeates the entire Universe. The same religion gave the world knowledge about the Logos, the creative cosmic principle, who is the creator of the given Universe, but not in general the creator of universal existence. The Logos is the legislator, the creator of the given Universe, in contrast to the Absolute, which is the basis of eternal universal existence. The knowledge about the Logos - the Highest mind of the Universe was transferred. This religion has brought knowledge about the world soul - the eternal subtlest cosmic energy, about its endless transformations, about the eternal feminine Principle of the Universe. The knowledge that the combination of the feminine Principle of the Universe, that is, energy and the masculine Principle - spirit or consciousness radiated by the Absolute, constitutes the magnifying essence of the Universal existence or God himself. There is no other God besides the Universe. This religion claimed that God is present in everything. The essence of God is universal being. It was the first religion on Earth to abolish the bloody ...

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Christianity is the oldest religion on Earth

Adam and Eve, the first people on earth, were Christians. The first chapters of the Bible tell us that immediately after the Fall, they received from God an assurance of the coming of the Redeemer, who will bear the punishment for their iniquities, restore the peace of man with God and destroy the devil: "I will put enmity between you and between your wife and your seed. and between her seed; it will strike you in the head, and you will bite it in the heel "(Genesis 3:15).

Starting from Adam and Eve, people knew about Jesus Christ and expected His coming. Please note - the biblical prophecies of the Old Testament contain reliable information about the family, geographical location, purpose and even the time of the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

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World religions

There are many religions in the world today, as well as their classifications. In religious studies, the following types are distinguished: tribal, national and world religions.

Buddhism

Buddhism is the most ancient world religion. It arose in the VI century. BC e. in India, and is currently distributed in the countries of South, Southeast, Central Asia and the Far East and has about 800 million followers. Tradition links the emergence of Buddhism with the name of Prince Siddhartha Gautama. The father hid bad things from Gautama, he lived in luxury, married his beloved girl, who bore him a son. The impetus for a spiritual upheaval for the prince, as legend has it, was four meetings. At first he saw a decrepit old man, then suffering from leprosy and a funeral procession. Thus Gautama learned old age, illness and death - the lot of all people. Then he saw a peaceful beggar wanderer who needed nothing from life. All this shocked ...

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And very rarely, such debates are peaceful. Most often, exhausting all the arguments, the participants grab onto clubs (in ancient times), swords (closer to us) or bombs and rockets (today).

Forerunners of religion

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As we all know, there are several major and largest religions on Earth. But which of the religions on Earth is the most ancient, I honestly cannot even say for sure. Some supporters and researchers say one thing, others another.

And maybe everyone is right in his own way, because all religions are quite ancient and how you can establish the very beginning or the source, I don't even know, to be honest. And is it even possible. And maybe this is not so important. Most likely, in my opinion, and not only in my opinion, religions had one source in ancient times and then, for various reasons, split.

For example, Hinduism in translation means the eternal path or the eternal religion. Even the name itself suggests that this religion may be the oldest of the religions. And besides, this religion, in my opinion, is the third in the number of its followers on Earth in our time.

And the sacred books of this ancient religion, were created for centuries and they carry a lot of useful ...

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Adam and Eve, the first people on earth, were Christians. The first chapters of the Bible tell that immediately after the Fall, they received from God an assurance of the coming of the Redeemer, who will bear the punishment for their iniquities, restore the peace of man with God and destroy the devil: “I will put enmity between you and your wife, and between your seed and between her seed; it will bite you in the head, and you will bite it in the heel ”(Genesis 3:15).

In Genesis 49:10, it is predicted from which tribe Christ will appear: "The scepter will not depart from Judas, and the lawgiver will not depart from his loins, until the Reconciliator comes, and the submission of nations to Him." The geographical place of the Messiah's appearance was predicted by the prophet Micah 5: 2: “And you, Bethlehem-Ephrath, are you little ...

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The youngest religion on earth. The most ancient religions in the world.

Forerunners of religion

Ancient beliefs

Mythology

Religions

Examples of ancient religions

Newest religions

Islam is a young religion

The "youngest" religion in the world

World religions

Buddhism

Forerunners of religion

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