Religion is based on the unsubstantiative belief that super
natural agencies (god or gods) exist. To justify their existence as
being 'real', religions create a set of stories and rules to justify
the power of these supernatural agencies. Many of which are claimed to
be 'true' but have little actual objective evidence to support them.
Ultimately
all religions are a construct of which ever power group takes control
and enforces their particular view of what their religion is and
routinely, violently oppresses any contrary view point to this 'orthodox
opinion'. At some point in this process the influence of the
'supernatural being' is transmuted into what the dominant human beings
say is the 'supernatural beings' view point while routinely ignoring key
policies claimed to be set by the 'supernatural being' in the first
place on some form of 'pick and mix' basis.
The Christian's
paradox is the command in their new covenant from the Judeo-Christian
supernatural power to 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' A supernatural
command they still do not have the hang off after 2000 years as they
continue to murder and denigrate other Christians and human beings
because, in essence, they do not believe in the right way or, worse,
point out the major flaws / dichotomies in their religion's application
of its supernatural beings commands. Some of the appointed leaders actions appear strange in
religions where money is shunned as the root of all evil yet so many of the 'priests and preachers' have
managed to get a hold of a lot for themselves - its a miracle! (For Christian put in any
other religion you wish and the paragraph still works).
If I was a
supernatural being I would have given up on this bunch of all time
loosers a long time ago as they prefer to nail folk to trees, burn them
at the stake, stone them to death, car bomb them to bits rather than
simply try to get along with each other as they continue to violently
demonstrate which of them is 'right' about what the 'supernatural being'
says actually means.
Politics is not that much different from religion when you think about it - even down to calling on the supernatural being of choice to protect the politicians while they are carrying out the supernatural beings work for them - cue Mitt Romney, Tony Blair, Bin Laden ........
Ultimately it is about personal wealth and power not the good of their communities.