Religion is like human language. The similarities are inevitable.
Though we have plenty of languages, many similarities could be found
among them. Otherwise, it would not have been humanly possible for one
man to learn other man's language. Just like language, religion must
have been the product of human brains. I am reading an interesting book,
"History of the world in 100 objects" by the director of British
Museum.
We have discovered the items used by Homo species (may not be humans) about two million years ago. These are stone chisels discovered at a place called Olduvai in East Africa. Advance stone tools such as hand-axe have been discovered and dated to a period between 300,000 and 1 million years ago. The stone tools older than 500,000 years have been discovered only in Africa. This is one of the key evidences supporting the human origin in Africa.
Some scientists gave a stone to a man and asked him to make a stone axe. They observed which parts of his brain were active while he was chiseling. Interestingly they found that the brain region which controls our speech was also active. This study suggests that the language speaking ability for humans has evolved as early as 500,000 years ago.
The Homo sapiens anatomically similar to modern humans have evolved 250,000 - 500,000 years ago and behaviourally similar to modern humans at least 50,000 years ago. The great human migration out of Africa is believed to have happened between 100,000 BC and 50,000 BC. The stone tools made by humans have been discovered at many parts of the world in this period (including Tamil Nadu).
Why am I writing all these in relation to religion? We have discovered many items used by humans mainly stone tools and some art works with stone or tusk, which are dated to be of the period which marked human origin and migration. However, the first human articles related to any religion or worship belong to the period close to 10,000 BC! Even though humans were living, hunting, migrating and speaking for several thousand years, god seemed to have been only a late entry! Higher brain evolution, civilization and bevioral developments have been the primary requirements for religion. Baby Krishna is baby Jesus is baby Homo sapiens.
We have discovered the items used by Homo species (may not be humans) about two million years ago. These are stone chisels discovered at a place called Olduvai in East Africa. Advance stone tools such as hand-axe have been discovered and dated to a period between 300,000 and 1 million years ago. The stone tools older than 500,000 years have been discovered only in Africa. This is one of the key evidences supporting the human origin in Africa.
Some scientists gave a stone to a man and asked him to make a stone axe. They observed which parts of his brain were active while he was chiseling. Interestingly they found that the brain region which controls our speech was also active. This study suggests that the language speaking ability for humans has evolved as early as 500,000 years ago.
The Homo sapiens anatomically similar to modern humans have evolved 250,000 - 500,000 years ago and behaviourally similar to modern humans at least 50,000 years ago. The great human migration out of Africa is believed to have happened between 100,000 BC and 50,000 BC. The stone tools made by humans have been discovered at many parts of the world in this period (including Tamil Nadu).
Why am I writing all these in relation to religion? We have discovered many items used by humans mainly stone tools and some art works with stone or tusk, which are dated to be of the period which marked human origin and migration. However, the first human articles related to any religion or worship belong to the period close to 10,000 BC! Even though humans were living, hunting, migrating and speaking for several thousand years, god seemed to have been only a late entry! Higher brain evolution, civilization and bevioral developments have been the primary requirements for religion. Baby Krishna is baby Jesus is baby Homo sapiens.
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