Origins
Humanity has a long history filled with beliefs systems. These systems have helped us understand the nature of our existence and the nature of human relationships. Many of these systems, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam, have had a significant impact on shaping the modern world.
World religions have developed over time according to specific ecological conditions. Eurasian empire expansion and the development of urban elites were key factors in the spread world religions. During this time, the importance of self-regulation was supplanted by the cults of relics and the cults of elites.
Elements
Although belief systems differ in many ways, they all share certain elements. Cosmology is one of the common elements. This is the way that people explain the universe and the forces at play in it. Many religions contain some abstract ideas concerning supernatural forces. Some believe that God exists. Others do not.
Valuations
Global belief systems often promote prosociality and the golden rule for treating others well. These principles differ from archaic religious beliefs that encouraged revenge and restricted social interaction. Many world religions promote family values and reject sexual promiscuity. Early Christians, for example, adopted this 'golden rule', which helped them distinguish themselves from pagans.
A belief system allows us to think and know in a way that helps us answer ultimate questions. Max Weber was the first to coin the term theodicy. Theodicy studies the problem of goodness and evil. This is how we see the rise of religion in our society. It explains how religious theodicies make a world meaningful to us.
Evolution
For most religions, evolution is a core concept. Teachers should not be against teaching evolutionary theory in public schools. However, they should acknowledge that evolution is a religious concept. Moreover, it supports a variety of other religions. This is an important issue because many religious beliefs are based on scientific evidence, and scientific creationism is incompatible with the scientific method.
Some people may find an evolutionary understanding of human origins to be enriching. Many people will ask the question, "Where is God? or "What does it mean to be made in the image of God?". These are just a few examples of questions that may arise when you ask questions about evolution. These questions are part a more interactive approach towards religion and science than a separation approach.
Spread
The Spreading of world belief is a phenomenon that can affect human culture. It all began around 3,000 BC in some parts of the world. Afro-Eurasian citizens began to form networks. Many of these people started to convert their local beliefs to more universal beliefs. These ideas were accepted by everyone around the globe.
The first belief systems often imagined a spirit world that was invisible to the human eye. These spirits sometimes were linked to people, places, or objects. They had many powers over human life. These early belief systems, while not religions, encompassed the natural and many spirits of the world. This is known as animism.