First: No offense is intended. I myself am a Christian, and I will not tolerate anyone telling me I'm wrong without proof or reasoning, nor will I tolerate anyone telling me that my religion does not exist, nor for that matter that I am 'straying away from my faith', so to speak. Any comments as such will be deleted. If you wish to respond to this topic, keep it relative with facts, figures, proof, or reasoning.
Now, for the actual question: Is it not possible religion was first developed to be a form of Government? If you think about it, most nearly every major religios figure (though not all) eventually ended up with a powerful position in Government. And for those that didn't: If you are a religious leader, isn't that power enough as it is?
My point is this: The first religion COULD have been created with the sole purpose of getting in power. Outrageous as it may seem, it's a possibility. Your thoughts?
(Do keep in mind that this was a discussion between my friends and I, and that I propose the question from a neutral point of view. Thereas, I expect you to do the same. Do not tell me I'm wrong just because your religion says I am.)
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It's a possibility... But no.Voted for by Mad-Hatter.
My opinion on the matter is as it is promptly titled: It's a possibility, but no.
It's too unlikely that anyone that far back had enough intelligence to immediately realize that if they were to engross everyone in the same belief that they'd have almost absolute power of them. Religion has been around for a looonnnggg time, so to get to the very first religion you must go back a very long ways, and as I stated before I doubt anyone during this time period (whatever time period it may be) had the intelligence to realize that power can be gained this way.
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That's how it turned out, whether religion was intended to be a form of government or not.Voted for by eminisceray.
I think religion started as a genuine belief in a greater being.
It is human nature to want what you don’t have, and to manipulate your surroundings to get what you want.
It would have been pretty easy to see that people with so much faith in something unproven could be taken advantage of.
I probably couldn’t even guess who or how religion was changed from a belief to a form of government.. But I think it did. Look at the Catholic Church for example. In the 1700’s-1800’s the church was more powerful than any other secular government.
The rough definition of Government is “Administration or management of an organization, business, or institution.”
Religions have rules and laws to manage the followers of society. Give money to the church, give power to the church. Most religions have been corrupt for a very long time.
Whether or not religion was intended to become a form of government, it became one. Any organization with more than a couple people will need to have a leader of some sort. Therefore creating a government. Sure, a leader of a guild with a dozen members won’t gain much power. But there are so many people that invest in some sort of religion. The leader of something with that many followers is bound to become extremely powerful.
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its both seperate and the same.Voted for by Neros Decay.
religion in itself is just a form of security that people have developed over time to explain things that are currently unexplainable by science. people envelope themselves in beliefs to have a guide in life and have answers to everything. since the start of civilization religion has played a great rule in government. great monarchies in Europe ruled by mandates of heaven and so on and so forth. this country has had its roots established through religion. hence the apperance of "God" in the pledge of alleigance. as this country has developed recently, God and religion itself has become a political platform. the government clings to religion like oxygen using it as an excuse and reasoning. for example the debate over gay marriage. the biggest point is that its unnatural and against God. whether america or the government recognizes it (or chooses to rather), religion is becoming as much of an influence as it did back before seperation of church and state.
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Interesting, but noVoted for by NoUseForAName.
I don't think religion was intended as a form of government. Religion is man-made. I'm not talking about spirituality or belief in god. I'm talking about rituals and the rules within the different churches that have nothing to do with the bible.
The reason I don't believe this is the cave-men. (I forget the different eras, anthropology class was a long time ago). Early man didn't have religion or any type of god/s. At least not as far as research and history can find. The Greeks/Romans didn't use their religion as a foundation for their governments.
There are good rules in the bible to follow. Don't kill, don't cheat, lie or steal. You don't have to be religious to have ethics.
I don't think religion was invented to gain political power, but I do think it's being used now for that purpose.
Best topic I've seen on this site yet.
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