Importance of Religious Beliefs
Religious beliefs in ancient civilizations were very important. In Mesopotamian life every single activity was generally subordinated to an overriding religious purpose. It was like this because they used religion to explain and understand nature, society and themselves. Religion was also very important to the Hebrews, however, their beliefs differed greatly from those of the Mesopotamians. The Mesopotamians were polytheistic, they believed in many gods. These gods controlled the entire universe. From the moon and the sun to the irrigation and the fields, each was directed by a g
Only the human being has the power to make choices and God bestowed this power. Their rational side of thinking was greatly overshadowed by religion, preventing the development of almost anything. The different views these two groups had on religion greatly effected the growth and development of their cultures. This allowed them to counter their parochial views with universal views, allowing them to eventually grow a huge hunger for knowledge. These two different mind sets impacted the development of their cultures in two different ways. This outlook can only be detrimental to a society. Today this can be seen by the overwhelming amount of monotheistic religions worldwide. They felt they were insignificant and lowly, lacking a free will, alive only to be manipulated by the gods. Their God was fully sovereign and transcendent. The Hebrews believed their God to be "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. When misfortune befell them, such as disease or drought, they attributed it to the gods. The Hebrews did not think they were created to be God's slaves and believed they had free will.
Common topics in this essay:
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Mesopotamians Mesopotamians,
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Religion Hebrews,
development cultures,
hebrews views,
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