In course of time, religion came with its rites invoking the aid of good spirits which were even more powerful than the bad spirits, and thus for the time being tempered the agony of fears.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Ritual is another word for fear, manifested in a different way.
Religion often partakes of the myth of progress that shields us from the terrors of an uncertain future.
Plant diseases, drought, desolation, despair were recurrent catastrophes during the ages - and the ancient remedies: supplications to supernatural spirits or gods.
All religions have periods in their history which are looked back to with retrospective fear and trembling as eras of persecution, and each religion has its own book of martyrs.
In Goddess religion death is not feared, but is understood to be a part of life, followed by birth and renewal.
Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.
That religious earnestness forever tends toward fright and hence towards brittleness and inquisition is clear enough in mythology and history.
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
So potent was religion in persuading to evil deeds.
In better times the religion of the tribe or state has nothing in common with the private and foreign superstitions or magical rites that savage terror may dictate to the individual.