Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Religion since the First Civilization

Religion:
     
     It is amazing how religion and religious beliefs have been around for centuries. It

does not matter if it was Egypt or Asia. All of the different parts of the first civilization

believed or worship a higher reasoning. It didn’t necessarily need to be a specific king

or God that they had to worship. However, it was about what was important to them and

their values.   

     The Egyptians believed in the after life and that their bodies were only the beginning

for what was in store for them. According to The Ways of the World author Strayer

(2011), “The rebirth of the sun everyday and of the river every year seemed to assure

Egyptians that life would prevail over death. The amazing pyramids, constructed during

Egypt’s Old Kingdom (2663-2195 B.C.E.), reflected the firm belief that at least the

pharaohs and other high- ranking people could successfully make the journey to the

eternal life in the Land of the West. Incantations for the dead describes an afterlife of

abundance and tranquility that Gilgamesh could only have envied.”(p.81)  

     As for China, they believed in bronze, tigers, stone, bones, ceramic and jade for

ritual use as well as being religious. The Shang Dynasty Bronze were based on not only

spiritual ancestry or deceased kings that were now gods but linked to heaven. Strayer

(2011), says, “The bronze tiger, created around 1100 B.C.E., illustrates Chinese Skill in

working with bronze and the mythological or religious significance of the tiger as a

messenger between heaven and the human world.”(p.67)

     I personally think that believing in something that we’re unsure of, gives us a

world of possibilities. Wishful thinking, hoping, and being positive creates future and

history. I believe that it is because of history why I am so religious. It truly does not matter

if there is a God or a Devil, a Heaven and Hell. What matters most is our actions and

what we believe in that get us through our daily life. For the Egyptians and the Chinese,


after life gave them their guidance.    

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