The Progression of Belief/Religion

I have been thinking that the religions/beliefs of today are similar in their roots with traditional belief systems. I am not speaking of what they believe but how they came about. All the systems that we have today have the same humble beginnings. An individual or group had their ideas and theories about God and the cosmos, they shared those ideas and they progressed into a belief system. What were these beliefs called before the development of traditional religions? Different regions, different cultures, different beliefs, kind of like this forum huh?

nightowl

[Honza]

Are you asking what are the basic principles of belief which all people share before they turn into religions?

Originally Posted by Honza

Are you asking what are the basic principles of belief which all people share before they turn into religions?

I guess that is part of it...I was kind of thinking outloud and probably didn't word my post in the best way.

To me it seems that just about all religious systems start at pretty much the same place and then progress into a system that try to explain what they believe in or why they believe in a certain way and some even develope laws and rules pertaining to the proper way to practice that system.

A person who developes their own personal beliefs are kind of starting at that same place. Over the years we have seen some of these personal beliefs become religious systems as well. It seems that inidividual beliefs are in most cases the catalist that can become a religous system. Therefore it would seem to me that most beliefs start at the same place.

I guess it is just an observation on my part that spilled out into words.

[Honza]

It does kind of make sense though.

Originally Posted by Honza

It does kind of make sense though.

Thanks Honza for your response Helps me know I am not just hearing empty words in my head

[athribiristan]

Religion begins with enlightenment. One man has an epiphany, and suddenly understands it all. In his excitement he wants to tell everyone. His problem is how to communicate what he has learned. The words that we use to represent our physical reality no longer apply, so he has to make up new ones. People don't really understand him (well maybe a few) but they follow him because he obviously 'gets it' and they want to 'get it' too. In time he dies and people are left with only what bits and pieces of his teaching remains, which they then try to piece together into what they think he meant. BAM!!!! Religion.....

[Mathew James]

Originally Posted by nightowl

I have been thinking that the religions/beliefs of today are similar in their roots with traditional belief systems. I am not speaking of what they believe but how they came about. All the systems that we have today have the same humble beginnings.

In my opinion, they all appear to have statred in the same place, maybe not the so called religions in the world today, but this concept of a reward if this life is lived in accordance with some form of rightousness.

This general concept of a creator creating this world or universe or even say humans...where did all these thoughts begin with, because they are mostly all the same at there very basic concepts. My only guess is that they all stated with the zodiac because that is very old. Is that the first concept/oldest of the gods in the sky/heaven/constellations?

"My only guess is that they all started with the zodiac because that is very old. Is that the first concept/oldest of the gods in the sky/heaven/constellations?"
Mathew James

I have no doubt that mans first spiritual beliefs probably came from their awe and wonder of creation. One needs only to research the history of God in the cultures of the world to see the connection. There were probably personal experiences with the supernatural/Divine that also adds to the mix.

[Mathew James]

Nightowl, it sounds like you have done some research on ancient cultures and their belief patterns. Before the Eygptians and the Sumarians are there any histories of cultures who had a god. The god concept seams to be widely spread around the earth, yet in many ways all the god concepts are basically all the same. They appear to have all started somewhere by someone and then spread out.

[norseman]

Take it further back than the "god" concept and you will find a world where man, the spirits of Nature, and the spirits of the ancestors lived in the same state of being. So, no grand over-arching deity but local spirits who could be approached. The original deities were Nature deities and concerned with everyday affairs in ordinary people's lives. For example, success in the hunt, early agriculture, childbirth, sickness, etc. Before priests were the tribal shaman.