Poll: The oldest living religion?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

This started out as a question in which I wanted to confirm my anticipated answer.

The answer I have found in a tad of google-ing is: It depends on who you ask and it was a fascinating trip through some wonderfully interesting sites that ranged from the rediculous to the sublime.

I found references of Hinduism being anywhere from 4200 years old to 12000 years old (which should greatly upset some fundie sects that believe the world is only 7000 years old).

I left out the Druidic, Wiccan and other "Nature" based religions for the fact they have gone through so many changes through the ages and can be grouped together either partially or 'en toto' as a base religion.

Anyway, I'd love to hear some of you theological scholars weigh in on this! And, hey. The rest of us can weigh in as well.

Postscript: Should I have put something really sexy in the thread title to garner more interest?

[Catholic Sensation]

1. hinduism ain't 12000 years old

I would say about 4200 years sounds about right for Hinduism. 2200 is waaaay too young. It would only be older than Christianity by 200 years.

[hlthe2b]

2. roots of Hinduism

So; "what is the Oldest Religion?"

Every religion today most likely has some aspect of an ancient belief in its philosophy or practice, but to say that one particular religion is the oldest is naive. The reality is-- we do not know. We have no basis for comparison. Most reference books list Hinduism as the oldest world religion. This is probably because Hinduism has the oldest recorded roots, which lie in Dravidianism. Dravidianism is estimated to have been practiced around 6,000 to 3,000 BCE and as such predates the Sumerian, Egyptian, and Babylonian cultures.

[Catholic Sensation]

7. Dravidianism is Dravidianism

not Hinduism. Judaism has its roots from 3000-5000 bc as well (i.e. the Great Flood story and Eden come from the religious teachings of a group that evolved into the Sumerians or something). I haven't touched western civ since freshman year in college, so the name of the group escapes me right now...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. I misspoke. it is 2200 BCE (or 4200 years old as you say).

Either way, a few centuries before Abraham.

Time to edit

[hlthe2b]

4. Arguably AGNOSTICISM

but certainly paganism predates most.

An oversight, I'm sure (and not the oldest, but certainly close to the age of Christianity) is Buddhism. As one of the worlds "great" religions, in terms of practitioners, we should add this if possible.

[johnnie]

14. Paganism....

Paganism was just a label that was given to any religion that wasn't Christianity.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

15. Do you mean agnosticism?

[hlthe2b]

18. yeah, thanks (darned typos)..... love that we can fix them now

eom

[Liberal Veteran]

5. Why is Christianity even in the poll?

When we know that Hinduism and Judaism both predate Christanity?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

8. Good question. I hit some sites that through the use of convoluted

logic claim that the roots of Christianity can be linked back to Abraham thus kind of making IT the oldest practised religion.

I don't agree with it, but to each their own.

[Cleita]

6. Animism is the oldest religion still practiced today in

some traditional societies and evidence points to the fact that it was around in the Stone ages.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. Isn't Animism considered a belief moreso than an organised religion?

Almost a precurser of Wiccan and Druidic beliefs?

My knowlege here is sketchy at best, so please don't be offended if I misspoke.

[DUreader]

9. Sun Worship

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

11. That's one of the Nature based worships that I left out.

In my googling I found lots of references, but none that could be described as a living religion that remains somewhat akin today as it was in history.

[Astarho]

12. Shamanism

I would say that is the oldest religio, and it survives today in some societies.

Also, Parsis are Zoroastrians.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

13. You're right about Parsis being Zorastrians, but can Samanism

be considered as an organised religion?

<snip>
Shamanism is classified by anthropologists as an archaic magico-religious phenomenon in which the shaman is the great master of ecstasy. Shamanism itself, was defined by the late Mircea Eliade as a technique of ecstasy. A shaman may exhibit a particular magical specialty (such as control over fire, wind or magical flight). When a specialization is present the most common is as a healer. The distinguishing characteristic of shamanism is its focus on an ecstatic trance state in which the soul of the shaman is believed to leave the body and ascend to the sky (heavens) or descend into the earth (underworld). The shaman makes use of spirit helpers, with whom he or she communicates, all the while retaining control over his or her own consciousness. (Examples of possession occur, but are the exception, rather than the rule.) It is also important to note that while most shamans in traditional societies are men, either women or men may and have become shamans.
<snip>
http://www.deoxy.org/shaover.htm#2

[Astarho]

16. Shamanism is not organized like other

religions, but does have a certain organization in of itself. It has an organized cosmos with various spirirts and non-human beings. Even if the shamans of various cultures are different (an Eskimo shaman will be much different than an African shaman)

The shaman is often a central figure in the community as well, like priests are for other religions.

[JVS]

17. Isn't this something better looked up in a reference book?

I think Zoroastrianism is the oldest, but voting doesn't really make it right or wrong

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

19. I'm sure it would be, but it's dark and nasty out today and my home

library is not up to this task. Besides, I thought it would be interesting to see and hear the different opinions.

And it has been a learning experience so far!

[madrchsod]

20. zoroastrianism

is the first"one god" belief system in the middle eastern lands.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

21. There's misconceptions abt. Hinduism being polytheistic...

<snip>
A popular misconception is Hinduism is polytheistic - believes in multiple Gods.

The Vedas tell us this about God - "OM Poornamadah Poornamidam Poornaad Poornamudachyate; Poornasya Poornamaadaaya Poornamevaavashisyate". Translated in English, this verse means "What is Whole - This is Whole - What has come out of the Whole is also Whole; When the Whole is taken out of the Whole, the Whole still remains Whole". The essence of this verse is that the Infinite cannot be measured arithmetically - God is Infinite. The Infinite can be represented in Infinite ways and does manifest in infinite ways. This, in short, is the essence of the Hindu belief in God. That He is everywhere, aorund us and within us. Infact, Hinduism takes the bold step of proclaiming that "we are God".

At the end of the day, Hinduism is monotheistic (Believes in One God). <snip>
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/9410/hindu1.html

Some convolutions here, but it still makes a case.

[htuttle]

31. Indeed

The Universe itself is nothing but a dream in the mind of Brahma.

Ohhhmmmmm....


:)

[Astarho]

25. not necessarily

Zoroastrianism did not really become monotheistic until Sassanid times when most of the pagan elements were purged by Kartir and his ilk.

Mazda became the supreme god, but others such as Mitra, Atar and others were still there, but assumed subordinate positions within the pantheon.

Ahura Mazda always was battling Angra Mainyu until the end of time when Mazda would defeat him, thus making Zoroastrianism very dualistic (which was a big influence on Christianity)

[SiobhanClancy]

22. It's witchcraft...

call it by whatever name you like,but the answer is witchcraft...it's been around as long as human beings have:)

[Zero Division]

23. Hinduism is really a group of religions...

N/T

[Sapphocrat]

24. Other

Australian Aboriginal (sorry, the Aboriginal word escapes me right now) -- but it's been around for something like 68,000 years.

No, really. I could be wrong about pinpointing "68,000 years," but I bet if ya Google it, I'll be right about it being the oldest on earth, with no qualifications.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. If we're talking about the oldest

continuous tradition practiced by the same ethnic group, then Hinduism wins by a long shot, followed by Taoism and Judaism.

Paganism and shamanism exist in so many varieties throughout the world that it's hard to classify them as unified traditions.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

27. I believe the gold star should got to Ms. Leftcoast! n/t

[AndyTiedye]

28. The Oldest Religion is what happens when people get together and dance.

It is not a particularly organized religion, but the question did not specify "organized", it said "living". This religion, which has no name,
has existed ever since someone started tapping out a beat with some
rocks and some other people started dancing to it, and began to find
the divinity within themselves and each other.

It has been practiced continuously and openly by the San people in Africa since the earliest times, and underground everywhere else
in the world.

[Mass_Liberal]

29. if anyone still follows zeus

im sure there's some crazy bastard that still follows the Minoan gods (crete) or the olympians, than that would be older than our estimate of hinduism at 2200 B.C

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

30. Don't know of that many followers of Greek Mythology, but I know

lots of fans.