Religion and science websites https://www.issr.org.uk/ https://www.comparativereligion.com/man.html https://www.allaboutreligion.org/origin-of-religion.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_theory1.htm
We know from archaeological discoveries and cave paintings that even man who was living 30 thousand years ago followed certain religious rituals. His beliefs originated in the incomprehension of the mysteries of nature surrounding him. These conditions contributed to the development of shamanistic beliefs and rites which we can observe even today in the primitive tribes of Asia and America. One of the basic elements of shamanism was a belief in the spirits of nature and the spirits of ancestors which still belongs to the main canons of the present Chinese religion. We know very little about the religious beliefs of the first agricultural societies existing about 4,000 - 8,000 years ago, whose life was dominated by the fear of a crop failure and starvation. Living under the constant stress about the future created the needs for beliefs resulting in religious ceremonies and rituals to appease gods and to secure their favors. These rituals included frequent human sacrifices. Only the development of the first civilizations in Indus Valley, Sumer and Egypt in about 5,000 years ago resulted in the security of food supply and during this period beliefs came into existence which reflected spiritual needs, and particularly desire for the afterlife. The new rituals did not demand human sacrifices in order to appease the gods, because people knew what gods required from them and how they should behave. Society accepted the rules imposed by the kings and priests. People obediently fulfilled commandments handed over to them, because they believed that the laws originated from gods. As a result of the introduction of the new ethics, society encompassed humanitarian values protecting the underdogs and poor. In that period people observed high standards of behaviour, that are comparable to the present social norms. In the territories outside these civilizations, human relations were based mainly on force and were characterized by violence, brutality and the lack of justice. With the growth of the population and the emergence of the warlike elites, brutal inter-tribal fights began, which still take place in some areas of Africa. The first civilizations had not managed to spread their own standards and social norms beyond their own boundaries. Therefore there was a need to create and implement new rules, similar to the laws of the first civilizations, which would be more firmly and widely established in society. To secure such conditions, an element of power was needed which would force people to follow these rules. Contemporary systems of justice were in the hands of strong and often brutal rulers. Therefore a new system had to be created regulating man’s behaviour, encompassing all the strata of society, particularly the rich and influential elites, as well as the local masters. It should contain a new structure, which would not be affected by the passage of time, would not have any ethnic bias, which would survive wars and the changes of ruling elites. A monotheistic religion was this new phenomenon. The new religion had to be independent, should not serve any interests of the leaders and the elites, and should not be influenced by any social or state organizations. It had to have at its disposal strong arguments forcing ordinary men and their masters to observe the set rules. Therefore apart from the main religious canon, which was the belief in God, an element of fear was needed forcing the obedience of people. A dogma about the existence of the immortal soul exposed to suffering after death superbly fitted this purpose. Therefore new concepts of Heaven and Hell, and the elements of the judgment of man’s deeds after his death, as well as the Last Judgment at the end of the world were implemented. In the course of the last few thousand years four main religions meeting these criteria came into existence: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Creator of these religions used certain chosen individuals whose task was to teach and to spread these new laws. To such messengers belonged Zoroaster (Zarathustra), Moses, Christ and Muhammad who were founders of the great new religions. These new religions implemented strong discipline amongst their followers, who were forced to observe the new norms and moral directives which have survived till today. The rules of these religions are strictly obeyed by true followers because they believe that God himself passed the canons of their faith to the founders in the form of revelations. Some non-believers could argue that religions arose as a result of socio-economic conditions and pressures, and the prophets expressed the needs of the people. However this cannot be the case because the teachings of messengers where very much advanced for the local population, and for example, some of the original concepts of Christ teachings are still not assimilated by many people. Also the fact that these religion beliefs had to be enforced supports the hypothesis of external intervention. Why Creator choose religion as a tool to influence and control people? It was the case of selecting the best method to control man’s egotistical and brutal behaviour. While the relation of man with other members of his clan or his tribe was controlled by precise and very often strict social rules, for example, Red Indians from the tribe of Utes had to commit suicide if they killed a member of their own tribe, people belonging to other communities were regarded as enemies which one should mercilessly destroy. For example, we know from the Avesta, the holy book of the Zoroastrians, that the tribe of Zoroaster was annihilated as a result of the wars between the tribes. The effective change of man’s attitude towards other people could only take place as a result of creating a strong belief in supernatural powers, which would be able to punish him, even if he managed to hide his wrong doings from other members of the community. It was particularly important in the case of rulers and influential, wealthy individuals, who would not easily yield to the physical forces, because they were powerful themselves. Religion, creating a system of new rules which had to be followed under the threat of eternal damnation, most effectively, without physical enforcement, modified the behaviour of man. Religious commandments gradually evolved into social rules, and then were included in secular laws. So it looks as though the creation of religions was the only practical solution which forced people to change their conduct.
Do we need Religion?
The New Genesis Foundation

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