That is the unfortunate thing about humans, we are so wrapped up in thinking our clubs and politics and religions are unique we don't understand the evolutionary reality that our species perceptions are notoriously flawed.
Arguing that a religion was the first or original would be like Coke vs Pepsi and Coke claiming it was the first beverage because it has a red can, missing the point that both came about because of prior influence.
I was an atheist before 01 when I finally sought out other atheists online, and prior I was not that well educated in my position. I started to actively doubt my belief when a co worker asked me "What if Jesus was just a man". But even with that I did not call myself an atheist, and went from Catholic to deist.
The biggest linchpin in my journey to calling myself "atheist" was a visit to the Smithsonian Museum in DC. It still took me a couple years after to call myself an atheist, but looking back, what I saw caused me to say "If they can mix, then it all can be influenced"
The exhibit was of the Buddhist Complex of Ankor Wat in Cambodia. The Dynasty started in the 3rd century, if memory serves me correctly, and lasted about 1,000 years until. It consisted of sandstone statues of Buddha. But about halfway through that dynasty Hindus found their way there, and by the end of that hall in the Smithsonian it was clear that the Buddhist statues incorporated Hindu features. That is when I connected the dots with all religions. That was the light bulb that caused me to think "If mixing can happen with this, then humans have always created new religions by taking on attributes of others around them."
There really is nothing new under the sun. Humans make up gods and religions because of our flawed perceptions and far too often gap fill where answers lack.
Arguing that a religion was the first or original would be like Coke vs Pepsi and Coke claiming it was the first beverage because it has a red can, missing the point that both came about because of prior influence.
I was an atheist before 01 when I finally sought out other atheists online, and prior I was not that well educated in my position. I started to actively doubt my belief when a co worker asked me "What if Jesus was just a man". But even with that I did not call myself an atheist, and went from Catholic to deist.
The biggest linchpin in my journey to calling myself "atheist" was a visit to the Smithsonian Museum in DC. It still took me a couple years after to call myself an atheist, but looking back, what I saw caused me to say "If they can mix, then it all can be influenced"
The exhibit was of the Buddhist Complex of Ankor Wat in Cambodia. The Dynasty started in the 3rd century, if memory serves me correctly, and lasted about 1,000 years until. It consisted of sandstone statues of Buddha. But about halfway through that dynasty Hindus found their way there, and by the end of that hall in the Smithsonian it was clear that the Buddhist statues incorporated Hindu features. That is when I connected the dots with all religions. That was the light bulb that caused me to think "If mixing can happen with this, then humans have always created new religions by taking on attributes of others around them."
There really is nothing new under the sun. Humans make up gods and religions because of our flawed perceptions and far too often gap fill where answers lack.
