Students Explain the Connection Between Religion and the Desert

Last week I pointed out that Christianity, Judaism and Islam were all started in dry, desert-like parts of the world. I asked you to develop a theory to explain why three of the world’s major religions began near deserts.

Several students came up with fantastic answers to this question. 

In fact, the answers provided below by Mason, Sophie H., Riley, Dawson and Leah B. are similar to the explanations that have been developed by important historians -- who have spent many, many years studying the origins of these religions!

(I think Mason, Sophie and Co. were eating their History Wheaties© during winter vacation!)

Mason: Maybe the three religions started in dry land because people needed hope. It was probably hard to get fresh water every day, so they had to start believing and having hope. Then all of their hope, faith and fears along the way turned into a religion.

Sophie H.: Life in the desert is often challenging and hard to get by. People probably looked for explanations as to why things happened the way they did and why life was so hard. Praying might have been their answer.

Riley: My theory is that the desert-like parts of the world are more of the calmer parts of the world. They are places where you have time to stop and think about life and its meaning.

Dawson: I think that in desolate places such as the desert, people need assurance that somebody else is watching out for them. In the case of these religions, assurance came in the form of a god.

Leah B.: I think it’s because the desert is usually a place where people lack resources and don’t have as much access to food and water. So that being the case, you could really focus on your religion, instead of being a “workaholic”. You could really focus and realize that god is with you, and he can help you through hard/tough times.