Origin of Religion

Every human being asks himself certain questions about himself and the world around him right from his childhood. These questions are the natural outcome of his response to external stimuli through his senses. Individual experiences form the basis to the answers to these questions. The answers to these questions are relative to the individual and therefore varies from person to person. The answers found by one individual may become more popular than another. Also due to inherent doubts about his own findings a person becomes reluctant to express his opinions. On the contrary there are individuals who confidently express their opinions before the public and when these become popular, people accept such opinions as unquestionable facts over time. A set of such well formed opinions become the basis of religions.

Does this mean that religions are based on the well formed opinions of great visionaries?

Although this would have been highly desirable, it is not always so. In every society there are certain leaders who enjoy the status due to their physical strength, accumulated wealth, their alertness to uphold their position in the society and to suppress and destroy their opponents, their constant efforts to strengthen the belief of the people in superstitions and in doing things that bring instantaneous happiness to the public. When these leaders pose before the people as having unquestionable authority in spiritual matters as they have in worldly affairs, people tend to accept this. When these leaders claim that there are invisible truths beyond this visible world and they have direct links with the agents that reveal these truths to them, people tend to believe them as much as they believe in the visible world around them. They are made to believe in this imaginary world and the innumerous superstitions surrounding this. Over time these beliefs strengthen and become unquestionable precedents. Religion finds its foundation in these beliefs and prejudices.

If the mission of religion is to explain the mysteries about life to people can't we say that the origin of science is from religion? Maybe religion is the first scientific methodology introduced in the world and maybe the development of religion results in the development of science?

No. These people have ended their search for truth about the world as we know it long back and claim to be in contact with the imaginary invisible world and mysteries. They confirm that they have links with the spiritual sources which reveals the mysteries about the world to them. They employ a number of tactics to make the people believe that these truths are revealed only to them by these sources and the god reveals these spiritual truths only to a selected few in this world. Rituals are performed in the pretext that these are passed on them by their ancestors or god or deity or idol. Moreover a hierarchical system of priestdom is instituted where the chief priest is at the highest level followed by lower ranks of priests and assistants.