zorathruster
November 24th 2004, 08:51 AM
"The bigger the whopper that everyone is required to accept, the more dedicated they have to be to the group as a whole".
When there is no falsehood associated with a club, it is easy to be a member, after all they espouse truth. But when everyone needs to profess belief in a "Grand Poobah who floats in the clouds keeping a list of who is naughty or nice" it takes real devotion and dedication to profess such a thing.
Religion provides a mechanism to show how dedicated individuals are to the group and identify with group activities and goals. David Coresh and Jim Jones made outlandish claims about their relationship and representation of the Christian Religion. A few very devoute individuals committed to their respective groups. Those members were willing to commit acts that most people would not commit in an effort to express their dedication, up to the point of self sacrifice. Other people involved in religious practice are showing their community how dedicated they are by acting in ways uncommon to society, and professing illogical ideas as true in an effort to be identified with the group.
We all want to be a part of something whether it is society or clubs or gatherings. We are socially instinctive.
When there is no falsehood associated with a club, it is easy to be a member, after all they espouse truth. But when everyone needs to profess belief in a "Grand Poobah who floats in the clouds keeping a list of who is naughty or nice" it takes real devotion and dedication to profess such a thing.
Religion provides a mechanism to show how dedicated individuals are to the group and identify with group activities and goals. David Coresh and Jim Jones made outlandish claims about their relationship and representation of the Christian Religion. A few very devoute individuals committed to their respective groups. Those members were willing to commit acts that most people would not commit in an effort to express their dedication, up to the point of self sacrifice. Other people involved in religious practice are showing their community how dedicated they are by acting in ways uncommon to society, and professing illogical ideas as true in an effort to be identified with the group.
We all want to be a part of something whether it is society or clubs or gatherings. We are socially instinctive.