Mystery of the Maya and Aztecs
SOLVED
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Inhabitants,
Languages and Religions of the World
Appendix III
High Gods of Primitive Peoples
The first theory of the origin of religion was the theory of Animism and was
presented by E.B. Tylor in his book
Primitive Cultures
. It was published in 1872 shortly after the publication of Darwin's Origin of
Species and followed the lines of progressive evolution, starting with savages
and ending up with civilized people.
The original religion thought to be held by these primitive cultures was
animism. Animism is typically the belief in spirits which can be located
anywhere or in anything, a stick or stone, a forest, person, hill or river.
Under the animistic model a spirit may be assigned to any department of human
activity, whether it is love, sports or war. They may also be assigned to any
force of nature, such as rain, thunder, wind and fire, etc. They can also
represent any geographical location and patron to any town or province.
This jungle or swarm of spirits, which in most cases needed to be fed or
appeased, was thought to be the beginning of religion among primitive men. From
this animistic belief religion is proposed to have evolved up to the higher
plane of Monotheism growing through various stages of spiritism, dreams,
idolatry, polytheism, ancestor worship, magic, fetishism, totemism or nature
worship, etc.
The evolutionary view of the origins of religion then, is that religion arose
from a primitive animistic culture that ascended up to a plurality of gods and
finally monotheism. They assume that the more bestial and ugly must be the
oldest, and the better in each case must be the higher and therefore the later
stage of development.
However, as ethnologists began to investigate these savage cultures, infected
with swarms of spirits and fearful superstitions, they found within the ranks
of even the most grotesque savages, hints of a High God and Creator.
Ethnologist Wilhelm Schmidt, in his classic,
The Origin and Growth of Religion
, stated, “animism does indeed find its ultimate origins in the primitive
culture, which has already some idea of a soul; but that its full development
does not take place till comparatively late. This alone shows that it cannot be
the origin of religion, for it is these same primitive cultures which have
developed religion in the form of a clear and decided ethical monotheism. What
has taken place is rather that this monotheism, under the influence of animism
with its offerings to the dead, its ghostly phantoms, its worship of ancestors
and its cult of skulls, has often been overlaid, thrust into the background and
stifled. Thus the Supreme Being is obscured and often quite disappears.” (
The Origin and Growth of Religion
, Wilhelm Schmidt, 1935, p. 85)
The evolutionary view of the origin of religion dominated almost the entire
nineteenth century, however, one of Tylor's most favoured pupils, Andrew Lang,
after his own researches in ethnology, became familiar with high gods among
primitive peoples and began to change his view on the origin of religion.
He proposed what may be called the “historical view” which begins
with civilized people and degenerates back to savages. When we take the
historical view and cast our eyes over the history of our subject we see the
same data as the evolutionist but a reverse order in which those religions were
actually and historically developed.
The historical evidence of religion is that of degeneration, for as far back as
we can look, to the oldest tribes ethnologically speaking, we find one common
element, a high God who is considered supreme above all other gods, the Creator
and Maker of heaven and earth, the first cause of all that is, who is from time
immemorial, beyond memory, and who loves mankind.
Ethnological research has undeniably verified this fact. During the days of
discovery, when travel began to increase, “civilised man” began to
find out that he was not alone in the world, but lived among a thousand other
cultures more “primitive” than he. Although his culture had not
“arisen” to the higher plane of Europeans, and he was stricken with
animistic beliefs, yet among these exceedingly primitive peoples and savages,
whether the Australian aborigines, the African bushmen, the Indians of the
Americas, high gods were found who were regarded as creators, the founders of
the moral code and as kind and good, and were regarded as the
“fathers” and therefore could not be the products of a long process
of development.
However, the evolutionary view convinced anthropologists that there were
different races of humans resulting in the terrible fruit of racism. Certain
tribes such as the African Negroes, Asian Mongoloids, and Australian Aborigines
were sometimes considered to be missing links or less evolved humans, and were
treated in barbaric ways.
Nevertheless, if religion began with the relatively pure and moral form of
monotheism, it must degenerate. However, the decades during and after Darwin
wrote his
Origin of Species
, progressive evolution undertook to supplant real history especially in the
field of religion and its influence can be widely seen in the works of
ethnologists. As progressive evolution became the only criterion for
determining the order of stages in religious development, the idea of steady
development from lower to higher took its grip.
Nevertheless, not all succumbed to this view. Ethnologist Paul Radin stated,
“Most of us have been brought up in or influenced by the tenets of
orthodox ethnology and this was largely an enthusiastic and quite uncritical
attempt to apply the Darwinian theory of evolution to the facts of social
experience.” He came to recognize, however, that this was a large mistake
and until mankind recovers from the confusion and darkness of evolutionary
thought no true advancement would ever be attained. He goes on to say, “No
progress will ever be achieved, however, until scholars rid themselves, once
and for all, of the curious notion that everything possesses an evolutionary
history”. (
Primitive Man as Philosopher
, 1927, P. Radin, p. 373)
E.B. Tylor's Animistic theory greatly influenced the world during the heyday of
evolutionism and has all the marks of its origin especially in its assumption
of an upward development of mankind. However, his theory, like Evolution lacked
any proof that the stages of progress or series of steps have any historical
connection with one another; and as Schmidt says, “is founded purely and
simply on the psychological plausibility ... [that] depends on the assumption
that the simple always precedes the complex.” (
The Origin and Growth of Religion
, Wilhelm Schmidt, 1935, p. 81)
E. B. Tylor was aware of high gods amidst primitive peoples but alleged that
the Supreme Being found amidst the primitive peoples was due to missionary
activity. However, this has been proven wrong time and again because many of
the primitive tribes which have the knowledge of a Supreme Being are known to
have never come into contact with modern man.
When Andrew Lang wrote
“The Making of Religion”
, purporting therein that the origin of religion was monotheism and from that
pure and high faith it degenerated down to animism, it was not readily accepted
by his peers. One sympathiser stated, “To have admitted among primitive
peoples the existence of monotheism in any form would have been equivalent to
abandoning the whole doctrine of evolutionary stages.” (
Primitive Man as Philosopher
, P. Radin, 1927, p. 345)
Ostracism from the world of academics is no new phenomenon if one takes a
position against the evolutionary stages of life in favour of the creationist
and historical world view, and sadly, this many were not prepared to do.
It was not until twenty-five years after Lang published,
“The Making of Religion”
, that his intuitive insight was corroborated by other trained ethnologists and
more accurate data obtained, that no one seriously denied that many primitive
peoples have a belief in a Supreme Creator, and the investigator brought up in
the usual doctrines of Evolution was amazed to find, amidst the lowest of
savages, culturally so backwards, that a religious stage so high exists. So
much so that many leading investigators have now cast off the yoke of
evolutionism and are now taking the more realistic approach, taking into
account the historical method of research pertaining to origins, rather than
the imaginary view of Evolution.
In the whole domain of ethnology the old evolutionary view is bankrupt. The
facts prove that the Supreme Beings have been independently existent and real
from time immemorial and that these “high gods” occupy a place of
their own in the religious conceptions of savages. They owe their genesis
neither to spiritism, dreams, idolatry, magic, fetishism, totemism, ancestor
worship, nature worship or polytheism, but proceed from an independent and
specific source, and from that time became subdued and thrust into the
background.
Dr. A. W. Nieuwenhuis states, “This being the way events have moved, we
can explain the remarkable fact that the idea of the [Supreme Being] and the
worship given to him fall into the background in proportion as the ideas of
spirits become more numerous and include more of the special parts of nature,
having greater importance for the people in their daily life.” (
Man As He is; His Doctrine in Pagan Worship
, p. 30, 1920)
The great ethnologist Wilhelm Schmidt saw in Lang's theory a realistic and
historical approach to the beginnings of religion. “But it is just at the
most primitive levels that we find the religious element still in greater
purity and comparatively uncorrupted, both in elements being still clearly
distinguishable. But then, according to Lang's theory, the mythical element
begins to develop more and more strongly, intrudes more and more upon the
religious, overgrows it, and finally covers it so as nearly to strangle it
altogether.” (
The Origin and Growth of Religion
, Wilhelm Schmidt, 1935, p. 179)
Nevertheless, the fact that all primitive peoples and cultures, isolated from
one another and literally worlds apart, retain in their religion a high god or
Supreme Being would prove that the resemblances between them could not have
arisen en route independently, but owe their origin and existence solely to a
historical connection from which they have all wandered in the distant past,
namely, as the first verse of the Bible declares,
“In the beginning God…”
(Genesis 1:1).
High gods are to be found in all primitive peoples with whom we have close
acquaintance, also, in the great majority of primitive cultures is the figure
of the Supreme Being who created the primal pair from whom the tribe descended.
If man was originally created by God in the beginning, how is it that he became
so far removed from the knowledge of Him and fellowship with Him? The apostle
Paul summarized the descent of man and what happen many years after man's
creation saying,
“when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful;
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened”
(Romans 1:21).
In keeping with the historical method, we find that man has not evolved upwards
from a bestial and primitive culture but has descended down into the depths of
darkness when he chose not to glorify Him as God, to thank Him for all His
wonderful benefits and to give Him the honour He deserves.
In departing from the knowledge of his Creator they had become fools of the
baser sort, descending into a dark abyss absent of light and the true knowledge
of God who alone could illuminate his darkened mind and elevate him to great
things through the wisdom and knowledge that only comes through knowing Him.
When we see video documentaries of savage tribes it is regularly suggested that
these have not evolved as high as civilized man, when in fact, these tribes
have descended down to that level when they departed from the one true God.
Physically and mentally they had the same capabilities as “modern
man” but their judgment had become skewed and they began to reap the
consequences of bad choices leading to an increase in corruption with each
generation.
Paul goes on to say, that since,
“they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to
a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient”
(Romans 1:28). He would not restrain their free will but allowed them,
“to walk in their own ways”
(Acts 14:16), and to reap what they have sown, leaving them in their pitiful
state,
“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their
heart”
(Ephesians 4:18).
However, God would not let them alone forever. He is longsuffering not willing
that any should perish, and undertook to call the nations back to Himself. Of
all the nations that were formed at Babel, God chose the nation Israel, not so
much to give and illuminate them through His Word, but that the world through
them might receive His Word.
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen:
that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there
was no God formed, neither shall there be after me”
(Isaiah 43:10).
They were called out of the darkness by God who had chosen them to receive and
transmit the knowledge of God to a world that had turned away and forgotten Him
after their rebellion at Babel.
However, we cannot deny that even the Revelation of God given to them began to
degenerate as influences from pagan nations began to infiltrate them along with
their own sinful natures warring within their souls to turn back to Egypt, and
the One True God of Israel began to be idolized and mixed with swarms of other
gods so that even Israel began to turn away from worshipping Him. The prophets
of Israel were always at war with these evil influences trying to bring them
back to a pure and true worship of their Creator.
For those who remain ignorant of history and of their Creator, through the
influence of Evolution, one may think that religion has advanced to a higher
plane. Outwardly it may appear to be more splendid and ornate, however, as
civilization and social conditions advanced, the blending of barbaric
absurdities and rites took place. Formalistic rituals, fashionable vestments
and lofty temples had the appearance of a greater and higher plane, but
inwardly it was more debased and exceedingly distorted, descending from purer
and simpler beginnings, resulting in the degeneration of the one true faith.
Since New Testament times when Jesus Christ came into the world to give Light
and hope to a perishing people, it did not take long before His Light began to
diminish and once again mankind began his descent into that period known as the
“Dark Ages”.
The apostle Paul foretold of this saying,
“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in
among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch,
and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one
night and day with tears”
(Acts 20:29-31).
Peter also foretold of this cancer that would spread throughout the church
saying,
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall
be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction”
(2 Peter 2:1).
By the time Jude wrote his epistle, this was already taking place.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye
should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Jude 3-4).
The
“faith which was once delivered unto the saints”
(Jude 3) began to be corrupted, this time by false teachers and prophets who
brought in damnable heresies. This was the complaint of the Reformers who tried
to bring back the pure worship of Jehovah from a caste of pagan priests that
were in the guise of Christianity.
Howbeit, the Reformation is now over and we are once again sinking into ever
lower depths as Christianity takes up the banner of toleration, syncretism and
pluralism, seeking entertainment and pleasure, and the uplifting of self rather
than God. Some would call this revival, as many are now filling their pews to
see the latest drama or musical, or to check out the latest trend, but in the
last days the Bible tells us a great apostasy would come before Christ returns
to set up His kingdom.
Jesus asked,
“when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
(Luke 18:8) Many of the Scriptures reflect that this will not be the case.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are
good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof… Ever
learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth... men of
corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith... But evil men and seducers
shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived”
(2 Timothy 3:1-13).
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron”
(1 Timothy 4:1, 2).
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition”
(2 Thessalonians 2:3).
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his
coming?”
(2 Peter 3:3, 4).
Last Update: 6/26/2009
