the people are the religion - at least in a practical sense. books are meaningless on their own. they're just objects. it's what people do with what they get out of what's inside the books that has real meaning.
just like law, really. its all just words. its what people do that gives them meaning.
i don't suggest for a moment that certain outcomes are an inevitable product of a particular religious system. rather that people often, with great regularity, follow similar patterns of behaviour - they're looking for the same kind of thing from society: stability, support, certainty.
and i agree with you on the expectations. its a key feature of it all. most people are looking for similar things - people to belong with, a place to be, some stuff to eat. as social animals, (almost) everyone has a need to belong. that need can be all consuming for some people.
abuse comes in so many forms. there are no human institutions, be they legal, political, social, cultural, religious, sporting, or whatever that are not open to abuse or have the potential the be abusive.
btw: i'm very clear in identifying who has responsibility for what [and was so even before i studied/practiced law] 8D
most people don't really understand 'religion', or 'science' for that matter. they think they do. but mostly they have half-arsed notions that have more to do with popular culture than education. [i'll get off the horse now, and let it out to pasture 8D]
Re: done properly
just like law, really. its all just words. its what people do that gives them meaning.
i don't suggest for a moment that certain outcomes are an inevitable product of a particular religious system. rather that people often, with great regularity, follow similar patterns of behaviour - they're looking for the same kind of thing from society: stability, support, certainty.
and i agree with you on the expectations. its a key feature of it all. most people are looking for similar things - people to belong with, a place to be, some stuff to eat. as social animals, (almost) everyone has a need to belong. that need can be all consuming for some people.
abuse comes in so many forms. there are no human institutions, be they legal, political, social, cultural, religious, sporting, or whatever that are not open to abuse or have the potential the be abusive.
btw: i'm very clear in identifying who has responsibility for what [and was so even before i studied/practiced law] 8D
most people don't really understand 'religion', or 'science' for that matter. they think they do. but mostly they have half-arsed notions that have more to do with popular culture than education. [i'll get off the horse now, and let it out to pasture 8D]