The historical development of religion has taken many turns, ingesting the new ideas of each major philosopher as he questions the ideas put forth by the man or era before him. In this constant questioning and development of ideas, the trend has changed from theism and faith to more rational religious exploration. Although many people currently believe that God, as assigned by Saint Augustine, exists, most modern philosophy takes one of two approaches outside of that realm. Some deny the existence of God and call for the name to be used only to discuss the phenomenon of the historical belief in God (Frost 126). Others redefine the term God so that it no longer takes on the meaning it did during earlier religious times. Instead, it becomes a name for the forces explained by scientists (Frost 126). The slow progression toward these more rational modern beliefs is the product of thousands of years of philosophic debate. As a result, the dependence on faith and God apparent in early religions can be recognized as slowing receding into a dependence on science, reason, and rational explanation.
             In the earliest civilizations, people applied purely mythical answers to the important questions that needed answers. Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, for example, had elaborate and exciting explanations that had little to no basis in reasonable thought (Robinson and Groves 6). Individuals accepted that there were multiple Gods, each responsible for certain aspects of life. Wild stories about the lives and development of these Gods explained everything from the seasons to the origins of man (Robinson and Groves 6-7). These explanations made it unnecessary for people to seek out ways to change things or work out solutions to problems. For example, an unquestioning belief in a God-sanctioned leader would eliminate thoughts of overthrowing that leader. Such belief made living more clear-cut, as most individuals lived their lives under ...