A question of opinion.

[aemaeth]

So. I was curious to hear some opinions.

I find it rather interesting that Paganism was the "first" religion known to mankind. Over time, civilization has seen the growth, splits, and even, in some cases, deaths, of many religions. Especially in our times, we see an almost exponential growth in different religions. However, one thing that I find rather funny/ironic, is, in our age of dissatisfaction, I see more and more people returning to the "roots", Paganism.

So, my question is this, if religion is the opium of the masses, are the masses finally coming down from their high, and either turning away from religion or returning to more "basic" religions? What do you all think is the cause of this?
How do you think this will impact the "magic communities"?

[WokeUpDead]

I think people are more free to experiment with different things these days so more people are giving it a try. Maybe the whole not-so-mainstream religion thing is a trend for most people that will pass sooner or later. Kind of like the metrosexual thing. Or not. Don't get mad _inabox_

[Garm]

In some circles shamanism is thought to have preceded the pagan religions.

Christianity was eclipsed by science for a while, but all the two egded issues that have been presented to us by the development of technology have made it less the universal panacea we once took it to be

So there has been a return to the more spiritual values.

"Neopaganism" is just one expression of this, we're also seeing a rise in fundamentalism

[DarkDancer]

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people."

Karl Marx

[Cindlady2]

I think as people understand more and more science they realize that the simplicity of many pagan religions actually goes hand in hand with much of what we know of science and nature. Also I think we understand allot more of the spiritual side of religion.

[CelticMoon11]

Wasn't the first signs of organised religion was with the ziggorat things of....sumerian cultures? I'm trying to draw this out from when we learnt about it in school when i was 13 so probably very wrong sozzi!

[MysticWitch]

Did cave men and dinosaurs have pagan gods? :)

[Shanti]

Did cave men and dinosaurs have pagan gods? :) Actually once early, primal humans stared to bury their dead, anthropologist and arthropologist did find some clues that they may have had some metaphysical beliefs, but religion didn't come along till much later. Religion is the organizing of a faith shared by the masses. Early man shows no signs of organizing a faith system, according to anthropologist and the like.
Animism, the belief that there is more to the physical than its physical attributes was first, from evidence found. Animism isn't religion, just an awareness of metaphysical existence.
Most likely their ideas were more that lightening was a powerful spirit than having a formless god as many believe today. It slowly progressed from there, with nature, volcanoes, lightening and such probably being the first powerful entities or gods.

[Rhisiart]

And then it all went downhill from there! lol

[Crimson Mage]

Personally I believe it has more to do with what we are taught nowadays.

During the generations preceeding us, children were taught to "stay in line", follow the status quo, and become a model citizen. Beginning with my generation (that of the late 50's early 60's) and thru today children have been taught more to question what they see around them, and taught that they can be whatever they want to be. This fosters critical thinking in all aspects of life including religion. People question more why we have to blindly follow the tenets written by those who came before us, and they then choose not to. Society has become too "free-flowing" to be squeezed into a firm hard set of beliefs. I dont think this revolution is limited to religion, but that is seen more and more in all aspects of our lives.

[Xentor]

People question more why we have to blindly follow the tenets written by those who came before us, and they then choose not to.
That's weird. It seems to directly contradict this:

I find it rather interesting that Peopleism was the "first" religion known to mankind.
Now was aemaeth questioning that statement or endorsing it? I thought the latter. Maybe I misread.

Luckily there's Shanti:
Animism, the belief that there is more to the physical than its physical attributes was first, from evidence found.
At least someone is questioning.

[ravenhecate999]

all religions are branched from paganisism...and the branches of a tree may die, but the tree survives on its own.

[PaTheorem]

In some circles shamanism is thought to have preceded the pagan religions.

i've always thought of it as a progression from from the shamanism cultures into paganism into christianity. i mean doesn't paganism have attributes of shamanism and christianity have attributes of paganism? it seems like a natural flow -- so where does one really draw the line of distinction? furthermore, at what point does a spiritual practice become a religion? is it when your worshiping space receives a tax ID number? how far back does one go? perhaps its when the monkey looked up at sky and went, "huh?"