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Leigh Young
History 134
Professor Thomson
24 June 2016
Portfolio Reflection: Religion
Religion is one of the greatest influences of our world today, and this is
true of history as well. Wars are waged, new faiths are revealed, and
countless lives are dedicated to the church. Our ancestors believed in God;
some civilizations believed in countless numbers of Gods, but they had a
belief system that directed their lives and gave them a code by which to live.
The religions that directed men more than one thousand years ago, exist
today, and billions of people around our world use these religions in their day
to day lives.
Many religions that we still practice were started by our ancient
ancestors. Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Islamic Faith, and many
more. Millions of people lost their lives, fighting for the right to practice their
faith; to believe in the morals that guided them. Religion exists because
people need something to believe in; something greater than ourselves to
explain the world to us. We use religion and our belief system to guide us
through our day, to help propel us in the right direction, and to help us feel
remorse when we make bad decisions. Religion helps us to behave

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righteously in this life, so as to pass on to the next, wherever you believe

that may be.
As far back as ancient Mesopotamia, people were worshipping Gods.
Ancient Mesopotamians were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped many
Gods, maybe even hundreds. They believed in Gods for nearly every aspect
of the universe; the sun, moon, sky, and air all had their own Gods who were
worshipped daily. Ancient Mesopotamians believed that each had their own
personal God, a guardian angel of sorts, and they regarded these Gods as
protectors and as intermediaries with greater deities. (Institute, n.d.)1 People,
like ancient Mesopotamians, dedicated great portions of their lives to
worshipping their Gods, and believed very strongly in the influence of these
Gods, both in their present day lives, and ultimately in the after-life. The
influence these beliefs had can be seen in the relics and artifacts we have
discovered; carved stone figures, hands clasped in reverence, placed in
Mesopotamian temples by citizens during worship. (Institute, n.d.)
Ancient Greece is another civilization in which religion was a prominent and
frequent part of daily life. Ancient Greeks are one of the most well- known
polytheistic societies, with Gods such as Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite living on
in stories and ancient mythology. The ancient Greeks are a perfect example
1 Major deities include: Anu, Father of Gods and God of Sky; Enlil, God of Air; Utu,
Son God and Lord of Truth and Justice; Nanna, Moon God; Inanna, Goddess of Love
and War; Ninhursag, Goddess of Earth; Enki, God of Fresh Water and Lord of Wisdom
and Magic.

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of a society that relied on religion in every day affairs. While it was up to the
individual citizen to decide on their level of personal involvement with their
beliefs, certain aspects were fundamentally widespread, as it was necessary
in order for Greek government and society to function. (Cartwright, 2013)
Greeks believed in the existence of their Gods and their ability to influence
the affairs of society; the Gods were very welcoming to acts of piety and
worship. The faith and reliance on the ancient Gods is quite evident in the
formation of the Olympic Games; the first stadion foot race being held in
honor of the God, Zeus. Festivals and games were frequently held to honor a
particular God, and visitors from all areas of Greece visited. The Gods were
honored and respected so much, that violence was strictly forbidden during
these games, and pilgrims were assured a safe passage to the events.
(Cartwright, 2013) People of ancient Greece worshipped privately in their
own homes, some erecting altars inside, where they could conduct private
worship. During hard times people looked to their Gods for help, interpreting
simple events as signs that their prayers were heard.

The Greeks are one of

the most preserved ancient religious societies, with their Gods and
mythologies living on to the present. Gods werent so much a question as
they were a given, and helped to guide ordinary people in everyday life, and

2 Signs such as a bird in the sky, or a simply spoken word from a friend were
interpreted as a prayer being listened/answered to, and were also interpreted as a
sign of future events.

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through hardship, as well as fortune. Events, both good and bad, were seen
as a response from the Gods, and helped to shape future behavior.
Ancient Romans were a very religious people, the age of Augustus ushering
in a time where Gods were thought to, quite literally, walk among us. The
first emperor, Augustus, was said to have been the son of the God, Julius
Caesar.3 Ancient Rome was also a polytheistic community, and many of their
worshipped Gods, were former rulers who had been elevated to Godlike
status, upon their deaths. Augustus himself believed in sacrificing for Roman
Gods, as a way to keep them happy. The religious beliefs that existed in that
time, helped to restore Romes traditional values; former temples were
resurrected and religious rituals were reinstated. (PBS, 2006) The belief in
the Emperor Augustuss role as part God, helped the citizens to follow his
lead, and to reintroduce religion in their daily lives.
One of the most followed religions of modern times, is the ancient faith of
Islam. Islam was started by the Prophet Muhammad, and came about at a
time when the Christian faith was prominent. Both Christianity and the
Islamic Faith are monotheistic religions, which was a change for many
ancient people, for whom polytheism was more common. The first followers
of Prophet Muhammad, were members of his family, and poor Arab citizens.
The promise of one God, a God who would offer a path of righteousness to
follow in this life, and a paradise in the afterlife, was enough for the Muslims
of ancient times. Muslims dedicated their lives to the worship of their one
3 Augustus was the heir of Julius Caesar, but was not actually his biological son.

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God, Allah, and led their lives as Allah deemed fit. The Islamic Faith was a
peaceful religion, and Muslims dedicated their lives following it. (Islam From
the Begininng to 1300, 2002) This faith is an example of an extreme faith, in
that, religion was not just a part of life, it was life itself. Muslims were inclined
to live peacefully and properly, so that they may enter into Paradise.

All of these religions and civilizations differ in many ways, but the one thing
they all have in common, is faith. History has shown us that our ancestors,
while very primitive in certain respects, all had the ability to simply, believe.
Faith is what keeps you going in hard times, and is what helps you to truly be
appreciative during happy ones. Our ancestors all worshipped many different
Gods, and followed many different religions, but they all followed something.
There was no question as to whether something greater than them existed,
and their belief in this existence, is what helped to maintain order in society,
and helped them to keep going in their personal lives. Whether it was an
ancient Islamic following the Quran, so as to be admitted to Paradise, or an
ancient Roman following the lead of the emperor Augustus, so as to keep the
Gods happy in this life, everyone believed and accepted a power bigger than
themselves.
Throughout my life, I have struggled with faith. Our modern world has
given us so much access, to so many different answers, that explain so many
different things, but God was not one of them. Humans today seem to find it
4 Paradise is the Islamic version of Heaven where Muslims are admitted after
living their best life.

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more difficult to simply accept things as being so, but I believe faith is
greatly important. Living with faith and a belief system can help you to move
through life with grace, and to be a better and kinder person to others. As I
have gotten older, I have started to accept that a power greater than myself
exists, and have started to welcome that being into my life. During times of
struggle, I have prayed, even if I didnt know who I was praying to. On a
happy day, when I find myself smiling to the sun, for no reason other than
feeling life is good, I smile and say a silent thanks. When I am faced with a
decision on how to behave, and whether to make the right decision, or take
the easy way out, I find it easier to take pause and think; do I want to answer
for this one day? Life is very short and kindness is free. That is the constant
lesson that my personal faith has taught me, and I try to practice that belief
in my daily life. I am responsible for my actions and my words, and I believe
that God is kind, and wants nothing more for me than to love my brothers
and sisters. Our ancient ancestors put their faith into practice every day, and
fought wars for their right to worship freely. They feared God and praised him
at the same time, and they defined the term God-fearing citizen. My
ancestors showed me that the path in life is created with my own decisions,
and helped me to see that allowing a little faith into my day, is the best
decision I can make.

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Annotated Bibliography:
Cartwright, M. (2013, April 11). Greek Religion. Retrieved from Ancient History
Encyclopedia: ancient.eu/greek_religion
In ancient Greece, religion was present in everyday life. Ancient Greeks were
polytheistic, and worshipped many Gods, who later appeared in Greek mythology.
Greek Gods were present in society and were thought to influence people in their
day to day existence. The Olympic Games were started, as a tribute to the God
Zeus, and people from all over Greece came to the event. People worshipped, not
only in public, but in private in their homes, where altars were often constructed.
Institute, T. O. (n.d.). Ancient Mesopotamia: This History Our History. Retrieved from
The Oriental Institute: mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/mesopotamialife
Ancient Mesopotamians were polytheistic and erected temples in which they placed
carved stone figures who were meant to worship the Gods in the citizen's absence.
Worshipping hundreds of Gods who were worshipped from every area of life, ancient
citizens also had their own personal God, a guardian angel, who protected them and
intervened with greater deities on their behalf.
Islam From the Begininng to 1300. (2002). Retrieved from historyworld.org/islam2.htm
Prophet Muhammad's teaching's enabled Arab tribes to unify and expand. Islam is a
highly influential religion, with followers that range from the highly educated and

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respected, to poor and uneducated peasants. Islam remains very relevant in today's
societies and cultures.
PBS. (2006). Roman Empire in the First Century: Augustus. Retrieved from PBS:
pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/augustus_religion.html
Augustus was considered to be the son of a God, Julius Caesar, and was revered as
such. Taking advantage of the deeply superstitious Roman citizens, Augustus used
his faith to bring Rome back to its glory days, reestablishing a culture full of religion
and traditional values. Augustus was successful in his rule, and upon his death, was
named a God as well.