Does religion gave rise to civilization or civilization gave birth to religion?

Answer 1

As an Atheist, I believe that civilization gave birth to religion. Humans are very curious by nature and they fear things they don't understand

Before the discovery of science, something had to be "blamed" for the things we are now able to scientifically explain. Because of this lack of knowledge, "God" was invented.

A forest fire, a devestating hurricaine, death, illness, and many more of the less savoury things that occur in life were percieved as "acts of God"

If "God" wasn't aroung to take the blame there would have been mass hysteria!

Of course most "acts of God" can now be explained by science, but religion continues. And sometimes that's not such a bad thing. It may be the biggest war-maker in history but it has probably brought together more people than Albert Eintstien ever could!

Of course this is just what I think, peoples opinions will vary in accordance with their religious beliefs.

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Then again opinions may varry according to ones perspecitve of history.

From a historical perspective it appears religion gave birth to civilization. In the most primitive cultures of the past the holy men or shamans when about collecting leaves, roots, barks and blossoms from various plants and trees for healing. Many of these we have extracted, compounded and synthesized in medicine.

Religion gave birth to medicine and pharmacology. As religion become more organized it set up the first schools, the priests invented writing and taught their students how to read. For a long time reading and learning was the sole domain of religion until they taught others. The priests observed the heaven which gave birth to astronomy. They developed calendars to accurately predict the planting seasons much needed for agriculture. They developed math, geometry, engineering, physics etc. The monks and priests gave us more productive methods of agriculture, developed accounting, banking and credit and the foundation of western economies.

Throughout most of human history religion was the biggest patron of the arts. In the west it was the Churches that built the universities out of which would come many of the greatest achievements of western civilization. Sure at times religion has sparked conflicts and wars but a look at any list of world wars and you will quickly see most were not religious most were caused by greed for land, power and wealth, something many religions have moderated and if it were not for the influence of religion we may actually of had more conflicts.