Origins of the One True God
The religions of today are dominated by two major beliefs — Christianity and Islam. There are many more others, mostly offshoots and sects of these two religions or the indigenous religions of tribes and natives in many lands. Most of the people in the world believe in one god, a singular entity responsible for creating the world and giving life to the universe. People fight and die for their religion believing theirs is true and superior. And in many corners of the world, debate rage as to what religion is the first and what god takes precedence above the other.
It is interesting to note, however, that centuries before Jesus Christ and Muhammad declared there is one god, thus starting the two biggest religions in the world, an almost forgotten pharaoh in Egypt espoused that there is indeed one god. He is vastly considered as the father of all modern religions, a stalwart perhaps a genius. However, in his day when Egyptians believed in the pharaohs as gods and people revered the other major and minor gods surrounding them, he was a rebel and a lunatic and soon after his death, was considered a mistake of history.
The pharaoh’s name is Akhnaten and his god’s name was simply the sun, the Naten – the giver of light, the giver of life, the one true god according to him. He dared to change centuries old from history, tradition and religion in Egypt. He put out of work the millions of craftsmen and priests, along with the immense tributes given to the gods through them and their temples. He moved his capital out to the wilderness in a place chosen by the god, reinvented the way history is recorded and even how pharaohs are portrayed in wall encryptions and sculptures – he was the first to require himself to be depicted as how he looked like – not the traditional strong, muscled, stern-looking pharaohs of the past.
As with many other great thinkers of history, Akhnaten’s influence did not last long. His passion for his religion opened the once powerful Egypt to invaders and crushed its economy. Soon the jobless priests began screaming for retribution and the sad state of the country did not help in welcoming the new sect. Not long after Akhnaten died, the old order was restored and the old religion was back. On of his successors was the legendary pharaoh Tutankhamen.
Some two centuries later, the idea of a one singular god was widely accepted by Abraham, Moses and the prophets. Muhammad in his journey to Medina discovered the one true god in Allah. They themselves were considered heretics during their time and their followers even prosecuted and killed. However, as history also showed us, the Romans that prosecuted Christians soon embraced the religion. And the tribes that once cursed Muhammad soon realized their ways and are now the staunchest believers of Allah.
History and religion are intertwined. Religion played a great role in the development of the modern man, his ways and his thinking. It is ridiculous and blasphemous to; even think there is another major religion that will supersede what the world has today. However, that was also what the Egyptians, the Romans and the Barbarians of the east thought during their time.
Religion: A Divine Realism
Every human culture has its own beliefs, attitudes and practices that are part of their religion. Individuals are bounded together by deep faith and hope that help them survive in their daily lives. Oftentimes, religion is very vital to man’s existence because it bears a connotation that it gives meaning to one’s life. It involves numerous rituals, prayers, songs and other forms of praises that signify devotion and faith. People interact with supernatural beings that they consider as one of the important persons of their existence. They consider these persons sacred and powerful whom they can go to in times of the up and downs of their lives. Religion also comes in many forms with different ways of praising and with diverse moral laws, which served as a guide on how a human being should act in the society that complements to the norms.
Religion has been around ever since mankind started believing on supernaturals. Man’s ancestors had these beliefs, since they were young, and they have inculcated these beliefs to their descendants. Up until this time, religion has become widespread and people still observe the same practices as before. There might be some slight modifications, but they still worship the same gods. It was greatly preserved by the people, and it is undeniably of great influence to the way people act and live in their community. Each religion has its own patterns of practice when it comes to religious engagement and these differences are apparent. Roman Catholics usually go to churches and listen to the Word of God through individuals that are considered preachers, the priests. There are also religions that people practice direct devotion to their gods like the Muslims and Hindus; these devotees do not have priests. There are also religions that believe that images such as replicas and statues are representations of the God they believe in. Others consider their god, divine that they do not consider having images of their gods. Every religion also has its own calendar of activities and these activities are considered holy that devotees are obligated to participate. In times of repentance and renewal, people usually set aside their usual activities and take time to reflect and cleanse themselves from earthly sins. The way people repent, vary but whatever way their religion permits them to do so, this is done regularly to improve one’s religious life and feed the spirit with what it needs to be renewed.
Oftentimes, people that have the same beliefs and characteristics go together and share the same faith and aspirations. These individuals then create their own religious system that will enable them to feel a sense of acceptance and belongingness due to what they think is right for them. Together, they make their lives better for their survival. In a community, religion plays an important role. It directs the people to do things right and religion is highly respected by the people and those that do not take part with the practice are considered to be immoral and a stain in the sanctity of a culture. How people act in the community reflects how people safeguard and respect their religion. The world is packed of many problems and temptations and if one sticks with what their religion believes, then one can avoid negativities and be able live life better and be a good member of the society. It gives the people a chance to maintain their tradition and see life to be purposeful and meaningful. With this optimism, one can meet the expectations of the society and will greatly help the individual strive hard for the betterment of the society and live life to the best possible way. The strong belief gives people a strong grip to, never give up on things when obstacles come. Having a religious life makes a great difference to those who are not. It allows the person to feel a great sense of worth and importance rather that a physical entity that does nothing but to wander. The world to religious individuals is considered to be blessed and this paved the way for the understanding of the people to the physical world. Religion becomes the basis of many things and without religion everything will be meaningless and idle.
Religion is really a life changing experience that is guided by divine truth. It helps a person identify and learn more about his uniqueness. Though there are many religions present to this time, one thing is for sure; our faith only points to one single god and this makes us feel sacred in many ways.