Religions of the Ancient World

Ancient Greek Religion There are many topics to be explored in Ancient Greek mythology. This unique polytheistic religion was based upon myth about anthropomorphic gods and goddesses. It impacted every facet of Grecian life from law and ritual to culture and art. The individual as well as society both influenced the characteristics of the religion and were influenced by the religion itself.

Religion, a word shrouded with mystery, confusion and complexity. For some it is the answer to everything, a path to guidance and hope. For others it is the reason for all evil or just a manmade phenomenon for people who refuse to understand that everything happens for a scientific reason. Whatever the case is, it is a topic that is quite controversial and much debated among scientists, cultural theorist and conspiracy theorists. Religion plays a major role in functioning and forming social and psychological behavior of a society. It is connected more towards the emotional side of a person and everyone has their own perspective about it. Therefore religion has become an important part of human identity.

Religion is perhaps one of the universe’s biggest mysteries. Is there some divine being or spiritual being guiding our lives? Religion is an understanding that there is something greater that guides and protects us. In today’s society, there are many different religions and they all practice and worship in different ways. Each religion presents diverse religious traditions, rituals and even beliefs. In other words, religion means something different to different people.

According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, religion means the belief in the presence of a God or Gods, and the activities that are connected with the worship of them. The word religion comes from the Latin word religionem, which means devotion to the Gods and respect for what is holy. Religion, or at least religious assumption, is something that is fundamentally common for all humans. Questions about the meaning of life, how to live it in the best way, what happens after death, and whether there is anyone or anything watching there have wondered people in all parts of the world throughout the history. Even if the origin of religion is uncertain, it is considered by some anthropologists that religion began as a renewal movement. In the past, when the people's imaginations were trying to find more comprehensive answers to their problems, they were affected by the ideas of prophets, which provided them with answers rather than their everyday beliefs. Most of the religions have the religious people who practice them, holy or sacred places where people worship, and rules with some similarities, as well as many differences. According to global 2012 reports, 59% of the people are religious, some of whom practice several religions at the same time, no matter the religious principals they follow allow for syncretism or not. Religion is a system of belief which formulates people's point of view, limits their actions, and to which people stay devoted all their lives.

Throughout the ancient world, religions and ideologies have developed into forms and practices that influence the very essence of civilizations. Religions could pose as a form of foundation for the beliefs, ideas, social organizations, and economic structures of a certain group of people. They provided a means of justification and form of unity between people and they helped establish and infuse new ideas into a culture. Religions were used as source to explain the misconcepted beliefs in nature and science as well as natural phenomina and it was also used to provide a source of motivation, control, and stability in a civilization.

Ancient World Religions and Philosophies Buddhism rejects the idea of immortality of life and Gods. The founder of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian aristocrat, also referred to as the Buddha or the Enlightened One. After Siddhartha’s death, his followers made him a God into eternal life. Buddhism is the third largest membership of its faith after Christianity and Islam. This belief was highly democratic and like Christianity no one was excluded.

The Birth of Religions and Philosophies in the Ancient World From the beginning of time, people all over the world have wondered where we come from, what our divine purpose in life is, and what we can expect after death. Questions about right and wrong, society and government, and nature and the cosmos, are some of the few wonders that ultimately created some of the earliest philosophies and religions, helping people find peace and explanation to the vast curiosity that still troubles us in modern times. From a technical standpoint, religion is defined as an everlasting devotion to a recognized higher being or entity, through a personal or formed practice of belief. Philosophy on the other hand, refers to the particular study of common and fundamental problems faced, such as in correlation with existence, reality, reason, values, knowledge, and language. In areas of Eurasia such as India and parts of Nepal, a collection of major religions that we know today began to form and flourish, finally establishing around 600 AD (O’Brien).

The definition of religion has two parts in the Webster’s dictionary, the first being a simple belief or reverence in a supernatural being, the second being a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief. The common man often sees the large religions in the simplest forms, creating obvious differences between the basic beliefs of major religions. These differences, seen in the comparison of Judeo-Christian and Islam worldviews, have had an immense impact upon each separate culture and interpretation of religion within each culture.

Religions of the World Since the creation of The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints, there have been many controversies concerning the similarities and differences between Mormonism and Catholicism, Christianity and Protestantism. Other than the obvious, that Catholicism, Christianity and Protestantism believe that there are no more prophets, and Mormons believe that there are still prophets walking the earth today, differences between the faiths range in varying ways. The Church's founder, Joseph Smith, was born a Protestant and put his beliefs into the foundations of Mormonism. Other than this, the faiths are very different. Mormonism differs from other faiths in several different ways, making it one of the most unique religions in Western Culture.

Religion is an organized collection of beliefs and cultural systems that entail the worship of a supernatural and metaphysical being. “Religion just like other belief systems, when held onto so much, can stop one from making significant progress in life”. Together with religion come traditions that provide the people with ways to tackle life’s complexities. A subscription to the school of thought of great scholars