To understand how religion could function as a social controller it is necessary to look at the most basic components of most major religions. One fundamental aspect of religion is the belief in spirits. A spirit is defined as a conscious, anth

Unification and Justification of effort are perhaps the two most important rewards of religious participation. Religion unifies both the entire society, and the mind of the common worker. Through the establishment of a central ruling figure, usually associated, if not descended from, gods, the population is given a person to rally behind. This person stands for the religion as well as the state. This figure rules you and everything else, and translates divine will to the people. Through the enactment of rituals and the participation of the individual, a greater sense of community is established. As the individual sees his/her peers around them, participating in the same ritual, the same religion, the individual is affirmed in his/her beliefs, and feels part of the community that shares this reinforced belief system (Gadalla). The after-life is a very important aspect of religion. As religion functions to explain what is unexplainable, death must be addressed. In addressing death, and establishing the presence of an after-life, religion creates a common goal for all people. The relationship between religion and nature, establish the idea of naturally ordered cycles, to which all things and all people belong.

Did religion rise out of a fear of the unknown, or did our ancestors truly experience a developmental epiphany in realizing the presence of greater beings and concepts. The battle over the truths of religion will continue forever, as none are provable or disprovable. The idea of religion stems from the most basic characteristic in human life, the desire to have a greater purpose. This development was a mixed blessing, for with the control of religion came the control of a great number of people, by no more than heritage. Leadership was not determined by skill or proficiency, but rather by whom one's parents were. The influence of religion in almost every member of a society's life allowed for individuals to exploit the commoner on a way before unseen.

The sufferings of people in ancient history were numerous and often, and to fell content in this life, those sufferings must be ultimately be justified by something. Most often that thing was religion. In the establishment of the idea of a greater power, and a greater destiny, the sufferings of everyday life were able to be offered up as payment for the gifts or happiness that one expected to experience after death. The assumption that religion created order out of chaos also helped to establish the idea that it was an individual's responsibility to live out one's life and to endure the sufferings that were inevitable therein, and to do all this for the continuation of the order

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Approximate Word count = 1805
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)