Religion is the worship and belief in a supernatural power, especially a god or gods. Different people belong to different religions depending on their beliefs and ideologies. Most of the religions practiced in the world today began over 2,000 years ago. From the course materials, various ‘facts’ have been identified about religion and its historical development.
The first fact about religions during the pre-1500 period is that they formed an important part of human culture. During the period, religion and culture were two elements that united people in different regions. People depended on gods for revelation, healing and spiritual guidance (Lecture Notes). They did not visit a doctor or specialist for healing or revelation.
The second fact is that no one can judge whether a given religion has the right beliefs or not. All the major religions have their own unique beliefs and faiths. The outstanding fact is that human beings cannot decide whether the views, teachings and beliefs of the religions are wrong or right.
This explains why there are differences in these major religions. The other important discovery is that members of a particular religion place their faith in that religion alone (Lecture Notes). This fact has made religions very complicated to understand. Human beings are free to make their own decisions about faith and beliefs without the influence of other people.
The third fact about religions during the traditional world is obtained from the book The World: A Brief History: Combined Volume by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. During the period, most of the civilizations were promoted by these ancient religions. During the traditional world, religious practices brought people together thereby promoting development.
This made it easier for them to work together and promote social development. Architects wanted to build long-lasting churches and mosques. As a result, the world began to civilize slowly by slowly (Fernandez-Armesto 52). Most of the ancient civilizations are linked to the people’s religious practices. These religions led to the establishment of modern systems of education and leadership.
The other fact from the book is that all the major world religions began during or before the Traditional World. These religious groups have retained their religious practices and ideologies for very many years. During the time, people from different religious groups could not coexist freely.
Individuals belonging to different religions habited different geographical regions during the traditional period (Fernandez-Armesto 57). The traditional world occupied the entire world until 1500 when things began to change. The traditional world was characterized by slow growth, lack of communication and poor living conditions. The world was also isolated due to geographical distances.
The BBC website states another fact that Christianity was the world’s biggest religion and faith during the pre-1500 period. The website goes further to say that the religion was founded on the views and teaching of Jesus Christ. Majority of Christians believed that Christ showed them the way towards eternal justice and peace (“Religion” par. 2).
Christians believe in the existence of one Supreme God, but in Him there are three elements: God the Son, the Father and the Holy Ghost. The believers worshiped in special houses called synagogues. The early Christians considered the Bible as the Holy Book. The Bible consisted of the New and Old Testament. This has remained the same even in the modern and present world.
Works Cited
Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. The World – A Brief History, Combined Volume. New York: Pearson, 2009. Print.
Religions. 2012. Web.