Religion and Empire

Human Nature is exposed in the study of Humans in Pre-History and Ancient times. We have instincts and capabilities that are similar.  We are each unique. We share our Human Nature based on what we have to do to survive.

Humans are required to drink water, eat food, seek shelter, have sex, eliminate waste, restore ourselves with sleep and rest, defend ourselves from harm and attack, discover new resources and develop tools and devices. Our bodies can withstand illness and injury and have the capacity to heal.

We also believe we are immortal and will somehow continue to exist after death. We are born on this earth rotating around our sun in this galaxy surrounded by countless galaxies in the Universe. This complexity suggests that all of this was designed.

Ancient religions began with the worship of nature and the elements of water, fire, earth and air. These were the forces of nature ancient humans needed to exist and survive.

The needed movement of hunter-gatherer clans from 40,000 BC to 10,000 BC was driven by survival. Migration to resources gave ancient humans an appreciation for their dependence on resources and nature.

Around 5000 BC they learned to identify the importance of seasons signaled by the sun.  Stonehenge is a celestial calendar that identifies the beginning of summer and winter. When harvests were good and food was plentiful, they celebrated. These celebrations were the beginnings of pagan religions.

All civilizations included gods of war. Some included gods of nature and gods of pleasure, love, justice and peace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_deities#Ancient_Egyptian

Many civilizations began to intuit or envision immortality for themselves.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam were associated with Empire.

Ancient Jewish settlements included their religion as part of their culture and identity around 2500 BC. They established their kingdom in wars of expansion after 1300 BC. Their expulsion in 70 AD by the Romans sent them to live in settlements across the world.  In 1948, the State of Israel was restored by allied powers after World War II. The current global population of Jews is 14.4 million.

Christians found themselves sponsored by the Roman Empire to convert all Roman lands to Christianity in 380 AD. The Holy Roman Empire was declared in 800 AD and the Christian Church merged with the European Monarchy. European migration and conquest of the Americas began in 1500 AD and became a Christian continent. The current global population of Christians is about 2.4 billion.

Muslims began to conquer neighboring countries in 700 AD and forcibly converting the conquered to Islam. Muslims invaded all of Arabia, the Middle East, Northern Africa and much of Europe. Christians battled Muslims for Jerusalem in 1100 AD. Spain defeated the Muslims in 1492.  Islam spread to Indonesia and Asia and now the current global population of Muslims is about 1.8 billion.

The global population is 7.2 billion. Other religions include Hindu 1.2 billion, Buddhist 521 million and others. 1.6 billion claim no religion. Many believe in God, but find participating in organized religion unhelpful.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader