VII. Religion and History
Even the skeptical historian develops a humble respect for religion, since
he sees it functioning, and seemingly indispensable, in every land and age.
To the unhappy, the suffering, the bereaved, the old, it has brought
supernatural comforts valued by millions of souls as more precious than
any natural aid. It has helped parents and teachers to discipline the young.
It has conferred meaning and dignity upon the lowliest existence, and
through its sacraments has made for stability by transforming human
covenants into solemn relationships with God. It has kept the poor (said
Napoleon) from murdering the rich. For since the natural inequality of men
dooms many of us to poverty or defeat, some supernatural hope may be the
sole alternative to despair. Destroy that hope, and class war is intensified.
Heaven and utopia are buckets in a well: when one goes down the other
goes up; when religion declines Communism grows.
Religion does not seem at first to have had any connection with morals.
Apparently (for we are merely guessing, or echoing Petronius [Petronius,
Caius (d. 66?)], who echoed Lucretius [Lucretius (96?-55 B.C.)]) “it was
fear that first made the gods”
–fear of hidden forces in the earth, rivers,
oceans, trees, winds, and sky. Religion became the propitiatory worship of
these forces through offerings, sacrifice, incantation, and prayer. Only when
priests used these fears and rituals to support morality and law did religion
become a force vital and rival to the state. It told the people that the local
code of morals and laws had been dictated by the gods. It pictured the god
Thoth giving laws to Menes [Menes, King of Egypt (r. c. 3500 B.C.)] for
Egypt, the god Shamash giving Hammurabi [Hammurabi, King of
Babylonia (r. 1750?-?1708 B.C.)] a code for Babylonia, Yahveh giving the
Ten Commandments and 613 precepts to Moses for the Jews, and the
divine nymph Egeria giving Numa Pompilius [Numa Pompilius, legendary
King of Rome (r. 715-673 B.C.)] laws for Rome. Pagan cults and Christian
creeds proclaimed that earthly rulers were appointed and protected by the
