Religion Is A Cornerstone Of Civilization - 898 Words

As made evident throughout history, religion has been a cornerstone of civilization since the beginning of time. Religion, or belief systems, has paved the way for mankind by guiding us in thought and action. Even our present day laws reflect the influence of the social contracts, morals, and beliefs formed by religion. With this in mind I present the question, which came first man or religion? Despite its impact on man, religion was created by humankind in response to the unknown. As the result of many years of evolution humans became the first species to become self aware in a cognitive aspect. While we developed so did our desire for answers to questions such as those in regard to the meaning of life and mysteries of death. Religion became our way of rationalizing the concepts of life we could not understand. By putting our faith and belief into factors beyond our control, we have allowed religion to establish our cultures and histories. In our approach to understanding religion we must learn it instead of blindly following the herd. In order to learn through the study of religion, Leonard Swidler created a system of Four Cs that simplify the key elements of religion. His first C, Creed, refers to the cognitive aspect of a religion. In other ways the Creed is the core belief of a given group of religious individuals. The second C, Code, are the rules and accustoms of action created by the Creed. Simply state the Code is the laws of the religion. The third C,Show MoreRelatedHow American Indians Have Adapted their Culture Since Colonization962 Words   |  4 PagesMy essay will have an outlook of the history of the first Americans â€Å"Indians† and how they’ve adapted with their religion, subsistence strategy, social organization, and material culture. Over the years things have change in the history of Native Americans, prior to the reconstruction period, Native Americans knew who they were and wh at they lived for. Before the Europeans came and changed their living they one with nature and the land they’ve came to know. They believe that America was there’s andRead MoreReligion and Civilization Essay1245 Words   |  5 PagesHow do we define religion? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of religion is as follows: â€Å"the belief in a god or in a group of gods, an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods, or an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group† (Merriam-Webster.) My personal definition of religion is that it is a set of beliefs and practices that generally pertain the worship of one or more than one spiritualRead MoreAncient Polytheistic Religion Compared to Judaism Essay919 Words   |  4 PagesAncient polytheistic religion compared to Judaism Ancient polytheistic and Judaism are two of the most opposite beliefs possible. Polytheistic belief is the belief in more than just one god. Polytheism was brought to this world by the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Greeks. The Greek gods often took on the form of being humans while the Egyptian gods were the main cornerstone to their beliefs and religion. Judaism or the belief of Monotheism is the belief in one main god. MonotheismRead MoreThe Civilizations Of Ancient Civilization1178 Words   |  5 Pages Civilization, derived from the latin word â€Å"civis† meaning â€Å"citizen†, or simply someone who lives in a city. However, what is the difference between a group of people who live in a town and our modern concept of civilization. To find the answer to that question we can turn to the civilizations of ancient times. The beginning of civilization as we know it began in the Neolithic era. This era began with a very distinct change to the way of life, from the old way of migrating constantly to whereverRead MoreCommunication And Conflict Resolution For Criminal Justice1340 Words   |  6 Pagesbasis of peaceful coexistence in the future. Typically, civilization is used to indicate the level of development of physical and human spirit to a certain historical period. Some researchers, such as Alvin Tomer divide history into two categories, pre-agricultural civilization and agricultural civilization, civilized industrial and post-industrial civilization. Some even think that civilization is a broader concept of culture, that civilization is the sum of culture and society. It’s the expressionRead MoreAncient Egypt and Mondern Society981 Words   |  4 Pagesdozens of great civilizations have risen from nothing and fallen back into obscurity. Not all civilizations, however, leave a lasting mark on the world, especially not one so profound that influences the world as it exists today. One such civilization that has had a profound impact on daily modern lives was that of Ancient Egypt. Their systems of religion and technological innovation helped not only to leave a permanent impression on the world, but also served to mold both the civilizations that directlyRead MoreEssay about Mayan, Inca, and Aztec Civilizations788 Words   |  4 PagesMayan, Inca, and Aztec Civilizations The Mayan, Inca, and Aztec civilizations each originated from Latin America. The Mayans lived in southern and central Mexico, other Mayans lived in Central America in the present day countries of Belize, Guatemala, and ancient Honduras. The Incas lived along the long coastal strip, and in the high peaks and deep fertile valleys of the Andes Mountains, and along the edges of the tropical forest to the east; this would be the country of Peru, Ecuador, ChileRead More Aldous Huxleys Brave New World Essay779 Words   |  4 PagesFord), universal human happiness has been achieved. (Well, almost.) Control of reproduction, genetic engineering, conditioning--especially via repetitive messages delivered during sleep--and a perfect pleasure drug called quot;Somaquot; are the cornerstones of the new society. Reproduction has been removed from the womb and placed on the conveyor belt, where reproductive workers tinker with the embryos to produce various grades of human beings, ranging from th e super-intelligent Alpha Pluses downRead MoreAncient Concepts Of Law, Government, And Social Structure1408 Words   |  6 Pagesthe development of Egyptian civilization. In addition, the Hebrews moved toward pure monotheism and the Persians enhanced the Near Eastern model of monarchical government. â€Å"The evidence reveals that on the one hand, peoples then living in the Near East, Africa, and the Mediterranean developed their own distinctive beliefs, mythologies, customs, and sense of identity. On the other they shared many attributes such as large populations, the use of writing, devotion to religion, and economies based on tradeRead MoreApplying Karl Mannheims Sociologist Approach to the Theories of Emile Durkheim and William James818 Words   |  4 PagesWe can apply Karl Mannheim’s sociologist approach to knowledge to the theories of two scholars of religion, Émile Durkheim and William James. â€Å"The ideas expressed by the subject are thus regarded as functi ons of his existence. This means that opinion, statements, propositions, and systems of ideas are not taken at their face value but are interpreted in the light of the life-situation of the one who expresses them† (Mannheim 50). Mannheim essentially believes that the acquisition of knowledge is