Three Questions

Factual Questions
1

I would like to ask three questions that have always intrugued me and I would greatly thankful to anyone who can answer them.

  1. What is the oldest religion still in existence?
  2. Regardless of anyone’s opinion, was the Iraq War legal under international law?
  3. In the assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, and Malcolm X, how likely is a conspiracy?

Best regards,
Gerhard

2

Question #2 “Regardless of anyone’s opinion, was the Iraq War legal under international law?” is hard to answer. Isn’t interpretation of law in itself opinion? And I know it’s that what you were looking for but the answer probably boils down to: “The US is the baddest mofo on the block, and will do what it pleases. Opinion, therefore is a moot point.”

Question #3 has been debated endlessly here and probably still survives in “Great Debates”.

Question #1, on the other hand…

One can argue that Native American beliefs are a continuation of the earliest belief conjured by man and probably had their roots in the old world, rising before the migration to North America. But are Native American beliefs still in pratice today? Are they even a religion? I’m not gonna start that arguement. (mut I’ll probably join in, if someone else wants to take the wheel)

Wicca can also be argued to be the oldest, dating back to neolithic times. I doubt, though that the modern praticioners are anything more than "wanna-be"s and I’m pretty sure that (historically) there has never been an organized belief set. I mean c’mon, witchcraft?!

Hinduism was in full swing for a millenia or two when Alexander the great showed up. Though Jainism claims to be the oldest religion in India.

Zoroastrism claims to be the second oldest religion. Second to…Hinduism.

So with two votes, I’m going to declare Hinduism the winner.

3

On the basis of Cecil and other sources, I am content to believe that Wicca is one of the youngest world religions, no matter how much of it may be based on ancient practices.

ReligiousTolerance.org says (agreeing with you) that “Hinduism is generally regarded as the world’s oldest organized religion.”

4

Witches!

LOL.

Once, on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Pagan was described as “A fancy word for ‘I hate my parents’”.

Yeah, those Hindu’s have been doing their thing for some time now. But here’s an interesting point:

Is atheism considered a religion? I know by definition, it’s the absence of one, but couldn’t religion be defined as one’s beliefs regarding higher powers, the afterlife and etceteras? If so, isn’t that what atheism is? Therefore, isn’t that the oldest?

On the otherhand, atheism would seem to be a belief that God doesn’t exist, when others say it does. If no one had a concept of a higher power, one could not be an atheist.

Just some fodder

5

ROFL

The professor said the final exam was comprehensive but I must admit I hadn’t fully prepared for this range of questions.:smiley:

6
  1. Hinduism
  2. Strictly speaking, no. As a means of enforcing the terms of the cease-fire sign after Gulf War I, yes, if they were broken. Watch this space for the appearance of the hypothetical WMDs.
  3. A conspiracy linking the three? Highly unlikely. A conspiracy in the deaths of any of the three individually, possible.
7

I believe that religion is best defined as a belief system regarding the whys and wherefores of the universe and human existence. Atheism isn’t a belief system, but only one (lack of) belief.

And atheism and religion aren’t necessarily contradictory. Atheism isn’t the lack of a religion, but rather the lack of belief in a deity. I think Buddhism, for example, isn’t theistic (necessarily… beliefs vary by sect and individual), but is almost inarguably a religion. (Anyone who knows more about Buddhism than I want to back me up/correct me?)

8

As to the oldest religion, it seems that the aboriginal people of Australia could certainly put in a claim here. Their presence in Australia goes back some 40,000 years, and so far as I’ve heard their system of beliefs does, too.

9
  1. Janism, like Sikhism and Buddhism, sprang from Hinduism.

All religions invariably are based on older religons which they may or may not bear much resmabalnce too. Ignoring this tho’ it’s probably Hinduism, Judaism or Zoroastriansim (Zoroastrianism’s claim is probably weaker than the former two).

10

Moderator’s Notes:

A few things. Please have only one question per thread.

Descriptive titles are good. Please use a descriptive title for your next thread.

General Questions is for questions with factual answers. Your first question about what is the oldest religion is the only one of your three questions that could possibly have a facutal answer.

I’m going to close this thread. Please feel free to start a new thread asking for the oldest religion (with a descriptive title).

DrMatrix - GQ Moderator