How long has religion been around?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:

According to The Bible A dictionary defines religion as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." It further defines it as "something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience."

The Genesis account of the Garden of Eden is one of the most widely known accounts in the Bible. In this account, we find that Jehovah placed Adam and his wife, Eve in the garden, and provided them with a set of standards. These were simple commands. One well-known law was that there was a restriction against eating from one particular tree.-(Genesis 2:17) Another simple command was to populate and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28)

Whether Adam and Eve performed any specific rituals, the Bible does not say, but they most certainly had to believe in God, and obey him. This, by definition, would constitute a religion.

A few years later, we read in Genesis 4:2-4, Adam's sons, Cain and Abel, both made sacrifices to God. Cain's was an offering of crops from his garden, and Abel's was an animal sacrifice. This also would constitute an act of religion.

So right from man's early start, religion has been in existence.

Answer 2

The earliest known Hindu artifact comes from about 28,500 b.c.e. so it is at least 30,500 years old, but probably older. Nobody knows when it began.
Hinduism has been around since 28,500 b.c.e. but that date is only gotten from the oldest known Hindu artifact found. It is probably much older.
about 3500 - 4000 years

Answer 3

The religion of Christianity has been around since the parting of Jesus Christ to heaven, approximately around 34-35 ad. The followers of Jesus were not named Christians until the Romans started to call them that first recorded in Acts 11:26:

and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. -Acts 11:25 NIV Bible

Answer 4

Religion appears to have been around for as long as 30,000 years. Some of the cave art produced in Europe up to 30,000 years ago appears to have been of religious origin. Also, some human fossils from this period were ritually buried, providing further evidence of religious activity. This evidence is described in some detail by Richard Leakey in The Origin of Humankind(1994).

Answer 5

Since the Creation. The entire ancient world possessed the original traditions of the Creation, the existence of the human soul and the afterlife, etc.

One thing that researchers agree upon is that mankind has always believed in a Higher Power. Archaeology has shown that no ancient society ever existed that did not believe in the supernatural.Link: Can you show me that God exists?Based upon a massive worldwide study of the most ancient inscriptions and the earliest levels of civilization, Dr. Wilhelm Schmidt (in his twelve-volume Der Ursprung Der Gottesidee) concluded that the original belief was monotheistic; a belief in One God (see footnote 1, below). It was a simple belief in the Creator (Dyeus Pater; Sky-Father) with no imagery of any kind. It gave way relatively quickly to polytheism and idolatry, but its traces could still be seen by the careful researcher, just as (for example) Proto-Indo European has left indelible marks within the later languages. Other traditions also are traceable worldwide, such as the religious significance of the number seven, and the immortality of the soul.

The process by which the awareness of One God gave way to a belief in many gods, has been described by Scandinavian researchers (see footnote 2) as splitting ("Gottespaltung"): the people gradually viewed God's attributes of truth, righteousness, fertility etc., as separate from Him, and afterwards personified and worshiped the attributes themselves, until God was largely forgotten.

According to Jewish tradition also, (Rashi commentary, Genesis 4:26), monotheism is more ancient than polytheism. Maimonides describes the process by which polytheism began: "A couple of centuries after the Creation, mankind made a great mistake. They said that since God had created the stars and spheres and placed them on high, accordingly it is fitting for people to praise and glorify them and to treat them with honor. They perceived this to be the will of God, that people should exalt and honor the stars. They began to praise and glorify them with words, and prostrate themselves before them, because by doing so, they would (according to their false conception) be indirectly honoring God too."

This descent into polytheism contributed to the gradual weakening of any sense of religious belief and was also used as justification for excessive and licentious behavior, since the caprices which were narrated concerning the idols were adopted as an excuse to imitate their putative actions.

The original belief is what Abraham reinstated through his teaching of ethical monotheism.

See also the other Related Links.

Link: Abraham's monotheism

Link: The full quote from Maimonides

Footnotes:

1) Albright, "From the Stone Age," p.170; and J.A. Wilson, "The Culture of ancient Egypt," p.129. Also Baron, "A Social and Religious History," vol. I, p.44 and 311. Also James Meek, "Hebrew Origins," p.188, quoting Langdon, Lagrange and John Ross. Also Martin Nilsson, Handbuch der Altertumswissenschaften, 2nd ed., p.61, 141, 220 and 394.

2) G. W. Anderson, in "The Old Testament and Modern Study," p.287. Also Friedrich Baethgen, in Beitraege zur Semitischen Religionsgeschichte, p.288. Also Pallotino, "The Etruscans," p. 158 and 167.

Answer 6

Since 1 A.D. Christ's death was what made the change in the calendar.

Answer 7

For more than 200 years Actually more than 2000 years.

Answer 8

About 2009 years--(as of 1/16/2009). The current system of dates where the years are denoted "C.E" or "B.C.E" refer to the Christian Era (now Common Era)

Answer 9

Buddhism as a religion has been around for about 2400 years. Some people believe it has been around for almost 5000 years in different forms.

Answer 10

1399 years ago. (In 610)