RE: So you when to hell now what.
December 12, 2014 at 5:16 pm
(This post was last modified: December 12, 2014 at 5:18 pm by Strider.)
(December 12, 2014 at 3:14 pm)Huggy74 Wrote: You're such a troll...
Look again at my original post, the one I responded to Abaris request for sources.
Out of the 6 sources listed 4 are from Wikipedia, 1 is from livescience.com (not a religious website), and one from sabbathcovenant.com (Jewish website).
So which of theses sources don't you agree with?
I'm going to disagree with your claim that all polytheistic religions have their origins in Mesopotamia. We simply cannot know conclusively if that is the case. The Mesopotamian religion was the first recorded - quite different from the first ever. I know there are historians who contend that the belief system of the many, many peoples in the Mesopotamian region was indeed the first, but there is enough evidence to cast doubt on that theory.
Now, while there are no written records of any religions predating Mesopotamia (an unsurprising fact since writing had not yet been developed), there are archeological findings which strongly suggest religious ideas and notions, possibly involving god and/or gods, as early as the paleolithic period. Bodies were intentionally buried, and oftentimes were interred along with tools or weapons. This suggests a belief in an afterlife, which is quite often associated with deities or spirits. As time progressed, burials in particular were ritualized, bodies were ornately decorated before interment, and other oddities that suggest at least spiritual/religious motives. Paleolithic art is also thought by some scholars to be symbolically and/or religiously significant rather than being rendered for merely aesthetic purposes. Furthermore, pottery, sculptures, and other such findings are thought by some to indicate religious behaviors predating the Mesopotamian religion.
We could go back and forth all day on this argument. It is nowhere near settled even among anthropologists, historians, archeologists, and others who are experts in this subject-matter. Suffice to say, I think it is folly to say without a doubt that all polytheistic religions originated in Babylon. There is simply no way to make such a claim with any authority.
By the way, I studied ancient and medieval history at my university and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. I was also awarded the Academic Award for History from the history department during my senior year. I know me some history.

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." ~ Benjamin Franklin