— J.X. Mason’s Blog Post of 6-21-2022.
— J.X. Mason is the author of ContinuingCreation.org.

Historically, populations can become distressed by poverty, disease, oppression, natural disasters, war and violence. They can also become distressed by their fear of one or more of those things. Under such conditions, the population may take collective action. This particularly happens when the people are unified in one or more ways — by ethnicity, by geographic boundaries, or by common culture and language. The collective action they take can be any one of the following:

A. Real-World Solutions
— Achieve a better life here and now through revolution or conquest
— Achieve a better life through group migration to unoccupied land
— Achieve a better future through work, creativity and technology
— Achieve rescue by a richer, more enlightened country or international agency   
— Reform the present culture: more justice, more peace, better agriculture & medicine.

B. Spiritual / Mental Solutions – i.e., Invent New Religions or Spiritual Paths
Invent a new religion or Spiritual Path that features: 
— Promise of rescue by a hero or messiah; and/or
— Promise of a second, superior life-after-death in a supernatural heaven, and/or
— A means of mental escape from suffering and fear (e.g., “withdraw to a higher plane.”)

Note: The Things in Group “A” may combine with things in Group “B” things to create “Secular Religions” – such as propaganda-rich communism or fascism.

Examples of Why Religions Arose (these are short, simplified answers)
— Judaism arose to unify the twelve Hebrew tribes, whose combined strength could conquer Canaan, “the land of milk and honey.”
— Buddhism arose in reaction to the overwhelming length, imprecision, and ineffectiveness of Hindu texts; in reaction to India’s caste system; and in reaction to its poverty and illness.
— Protestantism arose in reaction to the monopolistic economic power of Catholic monasteries, to Rome’s refusal to allow translation of the Bible into native languages, to Rome’s corrupt sale of “indulgences,” and so on.
— Islam arose in response to the Arab desire for a faith written in Arabic, reflecting Arab culture, and eliminating the illogical Trinity.
— The Practice of Continuing Creation is arising to integrate spirituality and modern science.

For more on this topic, look for my Essays on the web! — J.X. Mason

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