Religious belief in supreme being (s) has been present in humanity almost from the beginning. In part this is because humans needed a way to explain the events that took place around them and that they could not comprehend, or were simply out of reach and too magnificent for them to explain in any other way than through beings much superior than them. That´s the origin of gods in the human mind. Given this, then, the answers to the questions would be thus:
Review Questions:
1. The gods and goddesses were vital in the sense that they gave a reason for events, circumstances and situations that took place around humans and that they wanted to explain. This system was applied particularly when reason itself could not help people understand something, or it was beyond their control.
2. The themes vary among cultures, for example the Mesoamericans and the Greeks, in the functions and roles that the gods and goddesses played in human lives. For example, the Greek gods were less involved with humans, whereas for some Mesoamerican peoples, their gods were around them and influenced them constantly.
3. The similarity between belief systems was the reason for the existence of gods and goddesses. They were there to give sense to what could not be understood by the human mind and could not be controlled.
4. These beliefs shape culture because they become almost like a system through which all other aspects of social life is formed. For example, some Greek cities had as their deity Cupid, and their social behavior, thus, was shaped by the principles that were supposed to derive from this god.
5. Social structures may reflect some mythological beliefs, but not all. In general, gods and goddesses helped to understand the world, but social, political and even economical structures were considered something of the mundane, not necessarily connected to the gods. This was evidenced in Greece, where the gods were observers, more than guides.
Critical Thinking
1. Places of worship were important, and are important, because they were believed to be the places where the gods´ and/or goddesses presence was strongest and their power was best manifested.
2. They used games because in this way humans showed their likeness to their gods, who were supposed to admire strength, agility and even fierceness.
3. Because violence was seen as a form of power and strength, which was one of the characteristics that was possessed by the gods.
4. These stories are important because they reflect the belief system that sustained the generations and explain how people thought at the time. They also become a source of learning for future generations.
5. Because gods were really a reflection of what humans were, only with hightened and almost magical abilities, but they were flawed. Immortality was probably the characteristic that divided the divine from the human.
