The Emergence Of Religion : An Analysis

Organized religion is not a conspiracy. It is the act of an organizational belief in a religion like Judaism or Christianity with the effects of the history and how fast everyone got caught up in organized religion it couldn’t be a conspiracy.

Tomoko Masuzawa’s literary work, The Invention of World Religions, provides a meticulous analysis of how the term “world religions” is categorized and used in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Masuzawa addresses how the categorization of world religions has changed throughout history and how different elements of each religion, such as texts, origin, and ability to expand have shaped the classification of that religion by scholars. By using the works of well-established scholars, she is able to provide an accurate account of how the perception and analysis of these religious occurred in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Institutions within the public domain, such as universities and hospitals, can then shape interaction with their specific audiences to abide by the practices of these world religions in order to connect with the public in a culturally competent manner.

Everyone believes in something and most of the time not everyone believes in the same thing. Religion has been a part of history for as long as anyone can remember. There are so many different religions that people are born into or chose to be a part of. This essay will explore the history of religion beginning with Buddhism (500BCE-now), then examining Rome and Christianity (30ce-now), and ending with the Protestant Reformation (1450-1565). Each topic will be discussed by first introducing an important person involving the topic and then the topic will be discussed in more detail. After those three topics are discussed this essay will then compare and contrast the topics involving religion and history. Once the topics are compared and

Asoka’s son, Mahinda converted many leaders such as the king of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) which is said to be the longest and oldest tradition of practicing the religion

Altemeyer, Bob. "The Decline of Organized Religion in Western Civilization." International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, vol. 14, no. 2, Apr. 2004, pp. 77-89. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com

Religion is a species-specific human universal phenomenon, complex, full of paradoxes, and found in all cultures. Social scientists and anthropologists since the late 17th century have attempted to rationally answer questions about religion, and while we can't evaluate the veracity of religion’s claims, we can attempt to understand its functions.

The accomplishments and success of civilizations are closely linked to their religious outlook and the role of religion in their governments and society. Throughout history rulers have used the influence of religions to control their populations and provide the justification for their power. A society with a greater degree of separation between religion and government promotes a superior level of liberty and creativity amongst its people. By the time of the decline of the Roman Empire in the west, however, the world had come full circle to a return to theocratic dictatorship.

The Axial Age (for purposes of this paper, and in our reading) span from 800 BC until 600 AD, and saw the rise and fall of empires, the invention of coinage and markets, and the birth of countless philosophical and religious schools of thought. From studying this innovative and tumultuous time period, one may come to several conclusions on how material gain and spiritual thought may be closely linked. Here, the pursuit of ‘profit’ became the pursuit of ‘social good’; the lines between civic and marketable gain became blurred, forever changing the attitudes of peasants and the rich alike. The Axial Age was a crucial period in our history in which leaders learned how best to manipulate their populace, philosophical thought took root in the rational ratios of the cosmos, and market economy became not only a medium in which to acquire that which one needs to survive, but the bedrock upon which our society is built. I plan to support the idea that coinage and the rise of religion during the Axial Age is supported by explaining the following concepts from our reading: that the calculation of debts, market economics, and a fundamentally different system of trading allowed a space for new philosophical thought to emerge, that the pursuit of profit became synonymous with the pursuit of personal betterment, that governments realized it was crucial to suppress the total economic gains of its citizens, and that religion was in part founded to placate the poor, listless masses.

The widely accepted definition of a sect is a religious group with characteristics, which distinguishes it from either a Church or a denomination. Many groups which fit this definition now prefer the less contentious title of "new religious movements", because over the last fifty years, sects have become linked with brainwashing, mass suicide, and even a murder. One of the examples is the suicide of 900 members of the People's temple.

Religion is a social institution composed of a unified system of beliefs, symbols, and rituals that guides human life, including behaviors and values. I agree with the claim that the sociological study of religion makes one’s religious faith stronger in societies and communities because the more knowledgeable you are of your religion, the more you follow and practice its beliefs. Reading the books of the religion of your choice allows you to choose the lifestyle you live and control your beliefs. Sociologically studying one’s religion cannot damage religious faith unless you are sociologically studying a religion other than yours. Your devotion to your religion has been given to you at birth, and normally children follow their parents before anyone else.

Religion was the catalyst for the emergence of new empires during the third wave of civilization. This is seen through the rise of Muslim empires in the Arabian Peninsula and West Africa that later became a momentary impenetrable force. The spread of religion and religious ideas was rapid in these places and left long lasting marks on these places. Despite this, the spread a religion was a slow process, in Europe. The long process of religious conversion was primarily due to the low literacy rate among citizens during that time; this meant there was no sharing of though amongst citizens on an everyday basis. People most times followed the religion of their rulers. This then made the spread of religion dependent on the rulers. Analyzing the conversion stories of Prince Vladimir, Emperor Constantine, and Clovis, ruler of the Franks, is a good way to understand the process of how religion was spread through rulers in Europe. It is also important to consider the factors that influenced each conversion along with the aspects of the religion that were appealing to the rulers to understand the circumstances in which these conversions took place. By looking back in time it can be said that Christianity offered rulers political advantages such as divine intervention during war and miraculous healing. Along with this, they were able to gain power, and or secure peace among neighboring empires through inter-faith marriages.

With approximately 2.1 billion followers, Christianity is one of the world’s largest religions. Christianity—the religion of martyrs—is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, Son of God. Before the establishment of Christianity, the idea of the Messiah as the world’s savior, depicted in the Old Testament, was widely believed and accepted among Jewish communities. Since these ideas existed, the Christian movement popularized the idea of Jesus as the Messiah to legitimate his life. Writers then began to propagate the idea of his death as the centerpiece of Christianity after the crucifixion of Jesus. The crucifixion was portrayed as the sacrifice to end all sacrifices; Christians believe that Jesus died for their sins. Consequently, a shift within the idea of the Messiah occurred from a physical and political figure to a spiritual and universal figure. This shift provided Christianity with a solid foundation that led to an easier acceptance of Christianity. Since the kings and emperors believed in the godliness of the Messiah, the teachings of Jesus were slowly politicized into the Roman Empire. Therefore, when authoritative figures adopted Christianity, the amount of Christian followers increased, manufacturing social solidarity and prestige for its members.

Everybody has heard about the Devil, no matter what religion you follow or believe in. Everywhere you go you hear about the Devil, whether it is Halloween or just a regular Sunday at church. People avoid the topic in general, but really you should be educated on the topic even if you do not participate in a religion or not. The devil has mentally and physically evolved since the days of Old Scratch.

Organized religion has been a part of civilization since the earliest stargazers stared into the night skies and crafted extravagant tales of people, creatures, and their associations to describe the nuances of our world. These stories made their way into our lives as folks created demons and evil spirits to justify the fears that peril is waiting in the shadows of the night. It has both captivated and encumbered us as we try to explain the distinctions of our world with the evidence that is available to us as we make our way through history.

As long as humans have walked the Earth, we have sought out answers. Answers for questions like: "Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? Where did we come from? and What's that?" How different people answered these questions is important to study because it shows us the spiritual side of human nature. Especially now, a time of conflict between Islam and Western Civilization, it is important to look back and trace the evolution of religion. To see where we started and perhaps, gain some perspective into what is happening now and what may happen in the future.