Is this further proof religion stems from the infancy of our species?
Take the concept of hell for example. When humans were first around their methods of punishment were barbaric and cruel. Stoning, burning, beheading, feed to wild animals, etc.
Now today in modern civilized society we have better methods for justice. We have rehabilitation, prison, probation, correctional facilities, drug centers etc.
I just think when they added the hell fire parts into the bible it was a result from their own primitive thinking on punishment. They put the price of not accepting there philosophy as the most horrendous torment possible. Which would be understandable because the only forms of punishment they could think of were horrible ones.
I’m curious if humans were writing the bible today in modern society what would the punishment be. I’m guessing it wouldn’t be eternal torture in a lake of fire, maybe something more humane. Maybe after life rehabilitation 
Anyways that’s my theory, what’s yours?
Actually, our concept of hell springs almost entirely from the mind of Dante Alighieri, who borrowed from other religious thinkers of his day, but put it all together in a unique and brutal way. But even the sources he drew on were all from medieval European Christianity, with perhaps a bit of Islam thrown in as well.
No religion prior to this had conceived of such a place (which was nothing like the Old Testament’s Gehenna or Sheol). Any other, where torment or punishment took place, was temporary – not eternal.
Hell is therefore a fairly recent invention in the history of our species.
