Paper 92 Overview: The Later Evolution of Religion

People had natural religions long before any revelations were given on Urantia. This natural religion came from humans' superhuman abilities and was helped by the spirit of worship, the spirit of wisdom, and the Holy Spirit. These divine influences helped religion grow from simple early forms to higher levels.

Religion began with fear of ghosts and evolved through many stages of development. It changes very slowly compared to other human institutions. Fear was the earliest religious feeling, but as civilization advanced, fear was joined by reverence, admiration, respect, and sympathy.

Man had natural religion as part of his evolution long before any systematic revelations were made on Urantia. This natural religion was a product of his superhuman abilities. Evolutionary religion developed slowly throughout human history through three main influences working within humans and affecting them.

The three influences were the spirit of worship, the spirit of wisdom, and the Holy Spirit. These divine helpers were later joined by Thought Adjusters, seraphim, and the Spirit of Truth, which helped religion grow faster. These divine agencies have long worked on Urantia and will continue as long as humans live here.

Religion evolved from early fear and ghosts through many stages of development. Tribal fetishes became totems and tribal gods, while magic formulas turned into prayers. Circumcision, which started as a sacrifice, later became a health practice.

Religion moved from nature worship to ghost worship to fetishism during humanity's childhood. As civilization began, people adopted more mystic and symbolic beliefs. Now, as mankind approaches maturity, we are ready for real religion and even the beginnings of truth itself.

Religion is the most rigid of all human institutions, but it does slowly adjust to changing society. Eventually, evolutionary religion reflects changing customs, which may have been influenced by revealed religion. Religion slowly follows the path of wisdom, which is knowledge guided by experience and enlightened by divine revelation.

Religion clings to old ways and what is considered sacred. For this reason, stone tools continued to be used even when bronze and iron became available. Even today, Hindus still light altar fires using primitive methods. In evolutionary religion, new things have always been seen as sacrilege, and religious ceremonies must use the most primitive foods.

Studying human religion means examining the fossilized social layers of past ages. The moral standards of the human-like gods truly reflect the morals of the people who first thought of these gods. Ancient religions and mythology honestly show the beliefs of peoples long forgotten in history.

Evolutionary religion makes no room for change or correction. Unlike science, it does not fix its own mistakes. Evolved religion demands respect because its followers believe it is The Truth, final and perfect. The religious group resists progress because real advancement would change or destroy the group itself.

Revelation evolves but always moves forward. Throughout a world's history, revelations of religion keep expanding and becoming more enlightening. Revelation's job is to sort through and improve the evolving religions. But for divine revelations to lift up evolutionary religions, they must present teachings that aren't too different from the thoughts of the time they are given.

No matter how they seem to be connected, revealed religions always include belief in some final Deity and the idea that human personality survives death. Evolutionary religion is based on feelings and is not logical. It is mankind's reaction to believing in a possible ghost-spirit world. Revealed religion comes from the real spiritual world.

In evolutionary religion, gods are thought to look like humans. In revealed religion, people are taught they are God's children, made in the image of divinity. In mixed beliefs that combine revelation and evolution, the God idea is a blend of existing ideas from evolutionary groups, high ideals from revealed religion, and the personal views of the great religious leaders, prophets, and teachers of mankind.

Most major religious periods began with the life and teachings of an outstanding person. Leadership started most of the worthwhile moral movements in history. People have always tended to worship the leader, even at the cost of their teachings, and to honor their personality while losing sight of the truths they taught.

Twentieth-century Urantia religions present an interesting study of how man's worship impulse has evolved socially. Many faiths have not progressed much since the days of the ghost cult. The Pygmies of Africa have almost no religious reactions as a group, remaining where primitive man was when religion first began.

On Urantia, evolutionary and revealed religion are progressing side by side while they mix together into the diverse religious systems found in the world today. These religions can be listed as follows: Hinduism, the Hebrew religion, Buddhism, the Confucian teachings, the Taoist beliefs, Zoroastrianism, Shinto, Jainism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism, which is the most recent.

Religion can never become a scientific fact. Philosophy may be based on science, but religion will always be either evolutionary or revelatory, or possibly a combination of both, as it is in the world today. New religions cannot be invented; they are either evolved from older beliefs or suddenly revealed.

The quality of a religion is shown by four things: the level of values it promotes, the depth of meanings it offers, the intensity of devotion it inspires, and how freely the personality progresses along the spiritual path of finding God. Modern man is self-aware about religion, but his worship customs are confused by rapid social changes and scientific discoveries. Thinking men and women want religion to be redefined.