It was some theosophist who said that religions have arisen properly, each to the civilization in which they broke out. It seems an overly poetic statement, implying a universal harmony existing only in fantasy, and violently refuted by history. Before civilizations, there are individuals, and for these are not usually offered a menu of beliefs, so that they can consciously choose the one most suited to themselves—worse would be to judge them essentially suited to their own environment. It would be correct to say that civilizations have shaped the religions that have flourished within them, whether they were appropriate or not. Religions have always thrived in the midst of intense conflict, real battles both on a social and individual level. The first test of a religion is to overlap the previous beliefs. From this we can see the obvious: if religions had been born so perfectly suited to their environment, we would have peace, and not, as history shows, a progressive and violent “adaptation”.
Religions Have Always Thrived in the Midst of Intense Conflict
