Why do some fundies mistakenly believe that Judaism is the oldest religion?

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demonkineotherkin666

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http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgwQdvsfk_M5I2.p6ObZd4bwDH1G;_ylv=3?qid=20100904201930AAqqgv2


I asked this in response to this induviduals question.
personally, if there is anything that really gets my gall, it is some revisionist trying to rewrite history to suit their agenda, which is christian domination.
 
Because they are making the assumption that Adam and Eve literally existed 6000 years ago and that their beliefs were consistent with Judeo-Christian beliefs, and that no humans existed before them. Archeological evidence, on the other hand, shows cavemen and even Neanderthals had religious beliefs possibly 300,000+ years ago. These were, of course, Pagan beliefs.
 
Egyptian, Indian and Sumerian religions predated Judaism. Below are dates of actual written evidence of such texts found:

Pyramid Texts: 2400-2300 BC
Epic of Gilgamesh: 2150-2000 BC
Vedas Texts: 1500 BC
Old Testament: written around 400 BC but actually canonised between 200 BC to 150 AD.
*Oldest known writing, on oracle bones excavated in China, Henan, was 6600 BC.
 
Probably because of the first verse of the book of Genesis:

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Can't get much farther back than that. The genealogy is unbroken from Adam to Noah (with whom God also made a covenant) and Noah to Abram. Men first began 'calling on the name of the Lord' in the last verse of Genesis, Chapter 4--at the time of Seth's son, Enosh. Pharaoh is first found in 12:14 when Abram went down to Egypt. The first mention of a priest is found in Genesis 14:18--Melchizedek, king of Salem (or Jerusalem)--after Abram rescued Lot.

You asked why and I've tried to put some reasons here. It's nothing to do with 'revision'. It's just making some assumptions based on the Biblical record. Frankly, there isn't a whole lot of detail to blow rational any particular direction--and we haven't settled on a definition for 'religion' yet. The whole thing seems a little childish to me. What does it matter? Is some one handing out a dough-nut for being the oldest?
 
Theologically, Judaism is the oldest faith, though it takes on many forms. Every culture in the world was monotheistic at some point in history. Ideologically, Judaism is one of the oldest religions, but by no means is it the oldest. If Judaism officially began with the Mosaic covenant, then that alone would make Egyptian and Canaanite religions much older. Even if it began with the Abrahamic covenant, Egypt and Canaan's practices had still been around longer. Hinduism is about the same age as Egyptian paganism. And I have no idea when the Incans, Mayans and Aztecs began their practices.

Edit: "Who is to say that Alexander Graham Bell was the 1st to produce a light bulb?"

Just you, apparently. You're thinking of Thomas Edison. Someone's bound to pounce on you for that, so I figured I'd correct you first.
 
Many people believe that Judaism is the oldest religion because of the fact that Jesus Christ, the Creator, was Himself a Jew. Therefore, since he is and was the Savior and was in fact Jewish, than many believe that was the first form of religion. I don't believe any of firsts (per say) can truly be proven as to if something was actually "first" or not, as far as records and all go. Who is to say that Alexander Graham Bell was the 1st to produce a light bulb? Maybe he was the first to create one that was reproduceable and he was able to achieve getting the little bugger into production?!?! I don't know!

But, what I do know is that, I find it completely enamouring to find someone with a name like (it's not listed on this entire page, anywhere... So, going from memory)Devinkin666 or just inclusive of 666, posting in the forums of Religions and Spirituality! When the country was founded, a vastly superior set of days compared to the current times, Religion was defined as to a belief in 1 God as the Savior or our souls. There were absolutely further requirements to be included that one did hold a religion, but it's perplexing to see the instigative posture of such individuals, going into a forum such as this. Reasons?
 
As the events surrounding the first religion occurred in the untestable, unverifiable past, it is incorrect to make any 'scientific' conclusion regarding these events. Historical science is based entirely around our interpretation of the evidence.

Humans being humans, will tend to approach the evidence from a perspective of bias. If someone is convinced that the Bible is true, then it stands to reason that they would assume that the Biblical God was the first. And will subsequently interpret the evidence to suit that assumption.

It's not technically a re-write of history. It's an alternative hypothesis.
 
Maybe because of Christian tradition, maybe because you have poor grammar. It could be anything.
 
The largest religions of the world (by population of people that follow them) are Monotheistic religions (the belief that there is only ONE God).

Judaism is NOT the oldest religion, but it is the earliest organized Monotheistic religion. This could be where the discrepancy lies.
 
Because they are ignorant and haven't
taken the time to study the history of
spirituality... or maybe haven't been using
good sources for their information.

Archeological evidence of organized
religious practices dates back to at least
7000 BCE, and perhaps much furthur.

Recorded history began around 3200 BCE,
at which time there were many polytheistic
religions in existence throughout the Near
and Middle East...

Abraham founded the Hebrew religion around
1700 BCE, but for about 800 years it remained
polytheistic.

Around 900 BCE in Canaan they adopted a
monotheistic worship of Yahweh, which is when
the religion in it's present form really can be
said to have first begun... so it's old, but far
from the oldest.

Sometimes people say it's the oldest still in
practice, but Hinduism clearly dates to 1500
BCE, so I believe it holds the record for that.
 
It's because of ignorance and believing the media.

The oldest 'religion' is nature worship, while the oldest organized religion is Hinduism.
 
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