Currently, there are 21 major ones it seems, with atleast 400 unrelated ones. Of course there can be no accurate measurement of such things. Moreover, this doesn’t count the defunct religions that have come and gone in the past 20 thousand years.
Opine and discuss.
Re: What causes religion?
the need for an explanation for the unknown, so that one may have a controlled fear for it rather than an empty one. the exact nature of what is unknown changes over time, and we get evolution in religions as well.
Re: What causes religion?
well, lots.
have you heard about the story of john frum 
Re: What causes religion?
Faith that they'll be rewarded for their "good deeds".
Trust that the stories that have been passed down from generations and generations are, in fact, true.
The want/ need for an explanation for the unknown... or something to blame for the cause of mishaps and what not.
Re: What causes religion?
and the arrogance that it’s all about them
God and Shaitan are at war, just for us
Re: What causes religion?
on this topic my dad once wrote this:
**
dikhaa kar ik jhalak APNI, uRaa dii Khaak 'aalam meN
zaraa ab ThokareN khaayenigaah-e-justuju barsoN**
**
[God has manifested Himself in this world through things big and small
this manifestation is blurred and as a result the curious humans will wander for years to come
in order to see Him with clarity!]**
my English isn't that great so i may NOT have done justice to the she'r. sorry about that!
those who understand Urdu will appreciate the wisdom behind this couplet. :)
Re: What causes religion?
And some believe that we are at war for God & Shaitan.
Why can’t we all just get along?!
Re: What causes religion?
^LOLL.
Re: What causes religion?
Religion is caused/complimented by the human sense of fellowship ... this stems from the same 'spring' that governs our trait of forming civilisation ... Where civilisation or community is how we work together for our worldly needs, religion can be said to be a form of governance that presides over civilisation in a similar way that other laws do.
Just as we see ourselves accountable to one another we also see ourselves accountable to God and hence religion is a way to balance the two responsibilities.
Religion can be replaced for civilian based laws entirely and faith can be relegated to being a personal endeavour. Such societies are called secular. However, communal religious elements may still exist, such as sermons and gatherings that have no political impact. In other cases faith itself is questioned and gatherings on grounds of worship (spiritual pleasure) are often replaced by gatherings where bodily pleasure is the basis.
There are some cults/religions that draw no distinction between spiritual pleasure and bodily pleasure and part of rites and rituals actually partake in activities that are far from a genuine desire to reach Deity.
The most condensed way to look at major organised religion with respect to anything else - is the pursuit of happiness through subduing ones desires vs the pursuit of happiness through inflating ones desires ... respectively.
Re: What causes religion?
Currently, there are 21 major ones it seems, with atleast 400 unrelated ones. Of course there can be no accurate measurement of such things. Moreover, this doesn't count the defunct religions that have come and gone in the past 20 thousand years.
Opine and discuss.
Speaking from a secular standpoint, it can be explained by evolutionary psychology, although psychology based on evolution does assume much, I still think it makes sense. I think it s a few things.
First, Humans have a natural tendency to experience the presence of the unseen. Another words, sensing a presence regardless of whether or not one is present. It is a survival tactic. Our ancestors, who were always on the look out for the unseen (Lions etc), were more likely to survive.
Scale this up, and even as we settled into large communities, guarded by walls, we still harbored this anxiety of the unseen. We still believe that on some level there is a presence.
Secondly, the human mind yearns to make sense of things. It wants to see patterns, wants to see meaning, even where none exist. Again, patterning ones environment helps to make it more predictable and thus makes it easier to survive. This all comes together to bring order to chaos, and reduces the anxiety in life.
Hence believing in the unseen, and mind wanting to create meaning produces deities to explain things, and mythology to weave it all together.
Re: What causes religion?
It is a requirement and need of human being to feel complete and content.
Human just could not live without a set of rules, which is in turn has to be created by someone other than human race itself.
The very fact that there are vast majority following one or the other religion than those who reject, speaks by itself as a proof.
The question is fundamentally wrong by the way.
Nothing 'causes' religion.
Religion is said to be a set of rules laid upon human from God.
Re: What causes religion?
But isn't that the question at hand? There must be a root cause for the existence of 21 major religions and 400 other belief systems that exist today. Call it rules sent down from God, or man made rituals, there is a cause for everything.
Re: What causes religion?
But isn't that the question at hand? There must be a root cause for the existence of 21 major religions and 400 other belief systems that exist today. Call it rules sent down from God, or man made rituals, there is a cause for everything.
The 'cause' is 'need'. If you must ask this way.
Re: What causes religion?
It is a requirement and need of human being to feel complete and content.
Human just could not live without a set of rules, which is in turn has to be created by someone other than human race itself.
The very fact that there are vast majority following one or the other religion than those who reject, speaks by itself as a proof.
The question is fundamentally wrong by the way.
Nothing 'causes' religion.
Religion is said to be a set of rules laid upon human from God.
Society makes laws.
Someone certainly invented the greek religion, or the Ancient Egyptian religion. These relgions didn't teach anything similar to what we assume God truly laid out for humanity (i.e. Islam and OTHER Abrahmic religions).
Re: What causes religion?
Society makes laws.
Someone certainly invented the greek religion, or the Ancient Egyptian religion. These relgions didn't teach anything similar to what we assume God truly laid out for humanity (i.e. Islam and OTHER Abrahmic religions).
I did not use the word 'law' on purpose so it may not be confused with man made/society made laws.
Your second sentence confirms what I said. They 'needed' some form of 'religion'.
The question in first post did not ask what are the differences among various religions. It is a general question about 'any' religion.
Re: What causes religion?
So the answer to “what causes religion” is … “when civilised society is not enough to cater for every need”
It can be argued that even atheists will eventually resort to religion … right and wrong - becomes good and bad and then good and bad becomes better and worse …
These are the levels of sophistication in society …
First people are only concerned with what can be said to be true or said to be false - science … In order to promote social alignment and lowering of effort to get the best results it must therefore follow that being right is good and being wrong is bad … but then when further sophistication comes in when we consider feelings and the pursuit of happiness in all people … then we start to almost contradict this notion by seeing what is better and worse … This is religion!
A side discussion is the pursuit of happiness … and some have called it an inner need of people - drawing connections to what Diwana has written.
It is clear that being in atheism does not bring about a sense of happiness, but it is not as clear that being irreligious also does not bring about a sense of happiness … Really being religious is being organised and having a routine … Routine life is far more blissful than non-routine life … however non-routine life will have higher highs but also constitute lower lows …
Please watch this short video …
Metaphor for religion … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_formation
Birds fly in V formation … from the last video clip …
Re: What causes religion?
Human just could not live without a set of rules, which is in turn has to be created by someone other than human race itself.
aah, how do you explain atheist china? They have no religion. They are the brightest country at the moment, speaking in terms of economic prosperity?
How do you explain the indus valley civilization in taxila (they weren't religious, but did have a few temples)? their cities were well run, and much better functioning then rawalpindi or bombay today.
How do you explain atheist scandinavia today? the wealthiest countries in the world by far.
Re: What causes religion?
aah, how do you explain atheist china? They have no religion. They are the brightest country at the moment, speaking in terms of economic prosperity?
How do you explain the indus valley civilization in taxila (they weren't religious, but did have a few temples)? their cities were well run, and much better functioning then rawalpindi or bombay today.
How do you explain atheist scandinavia today? the wealthiest countries in the world by far.
Peace Dr. LuLworth
Are you serious? China is rich with religion ... It is an atheist state and communism tries to subdue religion - but it never manages it outright ... then you have being bright on one side to exploiting the populous on the other side - they work hard for little gain and many suicides result ... Religion is probably what keeps it ticking ... without religion the void would be too great to bear.
And to have religion does not necessarily mean you can't be atheist ... There are atheistic religions - in the sense of cultural practices, ceremonies and traditions based on folk lore and myth that no one believes in, but does anyway ... The core debate here is about religion not about atheism.
In their pursuit of happiness countries seek out to become materially rich ... but that does not gain them happiness and it does not mean that the richest country is the country that has people who are most at peace.
Re: What causes religion?
aah, how do you explain atheist china? They have no religion. They are the brightest country at the moment, speaking in terms of economic prosperity?
How do you explain the indus valley civilization in taxila (they weren't religious, but did have a few temples)? their cities were well run, and much better functioning then rawalpindi or bombay today.
How do you explain atheist scandinavia today? the wealthiest countries in the world by far.
First we should not try to mix secular with atheism and state religion with religion(s) of its people.
Atheism is a form of religion. Only difference is atheists don't say there is a supreme power.
Example: Buddhism. But it is a religion where they try to reject presence of God.
Hence a religion can be without the concept of God.
Re: What causes religion?
Atheism is a form of religion.
Isn't it denouncement of all the religions?