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BBC - Future - How and why did religion evolve?
Can the roots of spiritual behaviors and feelings be found in other animals? In the first of a two-part special, Brandon Ambrosino examines the evolutionary origins of religion.
“This is my body.”
These words, recorded in the Gospels as being spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper, are said daily at Church services around the world before the communion meal is eaten. When Christians hear these words spoken in the present, we’re reminded of the past, which is always with us, which never goes away.
Just how much past are Christians reminded of? Certainly the last two millennia, which, in addition to devout celebrations of the Eucharist, are rife with doctrinal disputes, church splits, episodes of violence, excommunications, papal pronouncements, and various metaphysical debates, all revolving around the communion meal.
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And let's not forget the Defenestration of Prague.
But the oral traditions that are at the foundation of the Old Testament go back to Mesopotamia & even much earlier: floods, Arks, cataclysms, the wrath of divine entities. And who was there to take notes during the first chapters of Genesis?
Easy. Religion began as a means to control other people. As we can see...even today it is extremely successful at it. It takes advantage of a human trait many people have which is the need to be led and told what to do as opposed to thinking for themselves. The most advanced form of this is of course cults. There are some fascinating documentaries out there demonstrating this.