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It’s Hinduism. The guarantor is the theologian Rafael Rodrigues da Silva, from the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC), in São Paulo. The dispute with the religions of ancient Egypt and Zoroastrianism (which emerged in Persia) is fierce, but the belief adopted by 80% of the population of India wins. The first sacred texts of Hinduism, the Vedas, were written more than 3,500 years ago. The origins of religion, however, have roots in prehistory. Hinduism did not have a determined founder, like Mohammed’s Islam, and admits total freedom of belief, bringing together sects that worship a large number of gods and deities – the most important are Brahma (which represents the creative principle), Vishnu (god of sun) and Shiva (of storms). Despite being older, shamanism cannot be considered a religion, says Rodrigues da Silva, as it does not have a clear organization, with doctrine (set of principles) and clergy (entity with priests).
Its central figure is the shaman, a tribal healer who, according to his followers, is capable of visiting the world of spirits and rescuing the souls of sick people. Zoroastrianism, in turn, is the oldest religion created by a known founder, the prophet Zoroaster, or Zarathustra.
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