We   know   from   archaeological   discoveries   and   cave   paintings   that   even   man who   was   living   30   thousand   years   ago   followed   certain   religious   rituals.   His beliefs    originated    in    the    incomprehension    of    the    mysteries    of    nature surrounding    him.    These    conditions    contributed    to    the    development    of shamanistic    beliefs    and    rites    which    we    can    observe    even    today    in    the primitive    tribes    of    Asia    and    America.    One    of    the    basic    elements    of shamanism   was   a   belief   in   the   spirits   of   nature   and   the   spirits   of   ancestors which   still   belongs   to   the   main   canons   of   the   present   Chinese   religion.   We know   very   little   about   the   religious   beliefs   of   the   first   agricultural   societies existing   about   4,000   -   8,000   years   ago,   whose   life   was   dominated   by   the   fear of   a   crop   failure   and   starvation.   Living   under   the   constant   stress   about   the future   created   the   needs   for   beliefs   resulting   in   religious   ceremonies   and rituals   to   appease   gods   and   to   secure   their   favors.   These   rituals   included frequent human sacrifices. Only   the   development   of   the   first   civilizations   in   Indus   Valley,   Sumer   and Egypt   in   about   5,000   years   ago   resulted   in   the   security   of   food   supply   and during    this    period    beliefs    came    into    existence    which    reflected    spiritual needs,    and    particularly    desire    for    the    afterlife.    The    new    rituals    did    not demand   human   sacrifices   in   order   to   appease   the   gods,   because   people knew   what   gods   required   from   them   and   how   they   should   behave.   Society accepted   the   rules   imposed   by   the   kings   and   priests.   People   obediently fulfilled   commandments   handed   over   to   them,   because   they   believed   that the   laws   originated   from   gods.   As   a   result   of   the   introduction   of   the   new ethics,   society   encompassed   humanitarian   values   protecting   the   underdogs and   poor.   In   that   period   people   observed   high   standards   of   behaviour,   that are comparable to the present social norms. In   the   territories   outside   these   civilizations,   human   relations   were   based mainly   on   force   and   were   characterized   by   violence,   brutality   and   the   lack of   justice.   With   the   growth   of   the   population   and   the   emergence   of   the warlike   elites,   brutal   inter-tribal   fights   began,   which   still   take   place   in   some areas   of   Africa.   The   first   civilizations   had   not   managed   to   spread   their   own standards   and   social   norms   beyond   their   own   boundaries.   Therefore   there was   a   need   to   create   and   implement   new   rules,   similar   to   the   laws   of   the first   civilizations,   which   would   be   more   firmly   and   widely   established   in society.   To   secure   such   conditions,   an   element   of   power   was   needed   which would force people to follow these rules. Contemporary   systems   of   justice   were   in   the   hands   of   strong   and   often brutal   rulers.   Therefore   a   new   system   had   to   be   created   regulating   man’s behaviour,   encompassing   all   the   strata   of   society,   particularly   the   rich   and influential    elites,    as    well    as    the    local    masters.    It    should    contain    a    new structure,   which   would   not   be   affected   by   the   passage   of   time,   would   not have   any   ethnic   bias,   which   would   survive   wars   and   the   changes   of   ruling elites. A monotheistic religion was this new phenomenon. The   new   religion   had   to   be   independent,   should   not   serve   any   interests   of the   leaders   and   the   elites,   and   should   not   be   influenced   by   any   social   or state   organizations.   It   had   to   have   at   its   disposal   strong   arguments   forcing ordinary   men   and   their   masters   to   observe   the   set   rules.   Therefore   apart from   the   main   religious   canon,   which   was   the   belief   in   God,   an   element   of fear    was    needed    forcing    the    obedience    of    people.    A    dogma    about    the existence   of   the   immortal   soul   exposed   to   suffering   after   death   superbly fitted   this   purpose.   Therefore   new   concepts   of   Heaven   and   Hell,   and   the elements   of   the   judgment   of   man’s   deeds   after   his   death,   as   well   as   the   Last Judgment   at   the   end   of   the   world   were   implemented.   In   the   course   of   the last   few   thousand   years   four   main   religions   meeting   these   criteria   came   into existence: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Creator   of   these   religions   used   certain   chosen   individuals   whose   task   was to    teach    and    to    spread    these    new    laws.    To    such    messengers    belonged Zoroaster   (Zarathustra),   Moses,   Christ   and   Muhammad   who   were   founders of    the    great    new    religions.    These    new    religions    implemented    strong discipline   amongst   their   followers,   who   were   forced   to   observe   the   new norms   and   moral   directives   which   have   survived   till   today.   The   rules   of these   religions   are   strictly   obeyed   by   true   followers   because   they   believe that   God   himself   passed   the   canons   of   their   faith   to   the   founders   in   the   form of revelations. Some   non-believers   could   argue   that   religions   arose   as   a   result   of   socio- economic   conditions   and   pressures,   and   the   prophets   expressed   the   needs of   the   people.   However   this   cannot   be   the   case   because   the   teachings   of messengers   where   very   much   advanced   for   the   local   population,   and   for example,   some   of   the   original   concepts   of      Christ   teachings   are   still   not assimilated   by   many   people.   Also   the   fact   that   these   religion   beliefs   had   to be enforced supports the hypothesis of external intervention. Why   Creator   choose   religion   as   a   tool   to   influence   and   control   people?   It was   the   case   of   selecting   the   best   method   to   control   man’s   egotistical   and brutal   behaviour.   While   the   relation   of   man   with   other   members   of   his   clan or   his   tribe   was   controlled   by   precise   and   very   often   strict   social   rules,   for example,       Red   Indians   from   the   tribe   of   Utes   had   to   commit   suicide   if   they killed   a   member   of   their   own   tribe,      people   belonging   to   other   communities were    regarded    as    enemies    which    one    should    mercilessly    destroy.    For example,   we   know   from   the   Avesta,   the   holy   book   of   the   Zoroastrians,   that the   tribe   of   Zoroaster   was   annihilated   as   a   result   of   the   wars   between   the tribes. The   effective   change   of   man’s   attitude   towards   other   people   could   only   take place   as   a   result   of   creating   a   strong   belief   in   supernatural   powers,   which would   be   able   to   punish   him,   even   if   he   managed   to   hide   his   wrong   doings from   other   members   of   the   community.   It   was   particularly   important   in   the case   of   rulers   and   influential,   wealthy   individuals,   who   would   not   easily yield to the physical forces, because they were powerful themselves. Religion,   creating   a   system   of   new   rules   which   had   to   be   followed   under the     threat     of     eternal     damnation,     most     effectively,     without     physical enforcement,    modified    the    behaviour    of    man.    Religious    commandments gradually   evolved   into   social   rules,   and   then   were   included   in   secular   laws. So   it   looks   as   though   the   creation   of   religions   was   the   only   practical   solution which forced people to change their conduct.