2 Answers

Pre bible times (or New Testament), there was the time of the Old Testament (Pre the arrival of Jesus).  That's when people followed Moses as the man or voice of God. After Jesus, the Christian religion was created. Then there was the Christian Crusades where people either converted (forced conversion for the most part) to Christianity or were killed for not doing so. So, pretty much any religion that was not taken over by marauding Christians either died away (almost literally) or went underground. Some today are taking their religion back, like the Pagans. A religion that went almost extinct due to Christianity and the fact that the Christians way back then pretty much stole the entire religion. Many Christian traditions were stolen from the Pagan religion. Today's Christians do not accept the Crusaders as true Christians, even though many Christians were created during those bloody decades of the religious wars.

"Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!"

Colleen

Yes, the whole division thing. Divide and conquer. (Paraphrasing)"Love me more or I will pit family against each other". The idea is still used today to gain control over the masses. Just ask Obama. Whoops, just slipped into politics. Rewind back to religion...divide and conquer.

Some pre-Christian rituals survive to this day, for instance execution by stoning to death, the wearing of long-flowing garments by priests, incense, and the wearing of the burqa.