The Life Spark and the Soul Spark 



to know with definiteness the origin of religions but they 

 have passed through an evolutionary process contempora- 

 neous with and as a part of the development of civilization. 

 And like all other phases of human activity, the greater and 

 more advanced human culture becomes, the more variations 

 In religion are shown. 



What Is perhaps the earliest evidence or manifestation 

 of a primitive religion is found among the Mousterlan cave 

 dwellers who inhabited most of Europe some 50,000 years 

 ago. Here skeletons have been found that show the manner 

 of the burial of their dead. The bodies are surrounded 

 with their choicest tools and weapons and an abundant sup- 

 ply of food, usually the joint of some extinct animal. Is placed 

 near by. The bodies are reclined with one hand resting 

 under the head. These facts bear evidence that these early 

 half human — half animal tribes had a belief In some life 

 activities after death. It is not given to us to know just what 

 their ideas of a hereafter were but their burials suggest a 

 connection with the ideas of the burials of the American 

 Indian who believed, that after death, they passed on to a 

 "Happy Hunting Ground." It Is, Indeed, noticeable what a 

 similarity In character Is found among all primitive peoples 

 of the world. A new Idea was seized upon and passed from 

 neighbor to neighbor, tribe to tribe, until It was carried and 

 utilized In all parts of the world. The use of flint, the bow 

 and arrow, the spearhead and many other useful Ideas were 

 carried and copied by the various races and tribes and it is 

 only reasonable to suppose that the idea of a life after death 

 found Its way and became a common belief among all primi- 

 tive people as they reached a certain degree of Intelligence. 



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