The interesting question is do adults still believe the lies they were told as children? For example, the idea that one must perform certain rituals and adhere to certain doctrines in life or you will be punished in the hereafter. The purpose of this lie, whether to children or adults is control. Only those who know exactly what needs to be done get to tell others.
When there was only one "true" church (and perhaps today in parts of the Muslim world) this belief was easier to maintain, but now I suspect that even the most devout don't think that this can literally be true. There are just too many instances of good people living by a different set of rules for people to think that they are all damned. So if there is no longer only one true path then why do people still follow their leaders? Or perhaps they really don't and the data on religiosity is over stated. There are (supposedly) millions of good Catholics in the US, but the majority disregard the rules on birth control.
So why do people teach religious ritual if they don't buy into the whole thing as was the case in the past?
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Belief
Date: 2008-05-19 11:10 pm (UTC)When there was only one "true" church (and perhaps today in parts of the Muslim world) this belief was easier to maintain, but now I suspect that even the most devout don't think that this can literally be true. There are just too many instances of good people living by a different set of rules for people to think that they are all damned. So if there is no longer only one true path then why do people still follow their leaders? Or perhaps they really don't and the data on religiosity is over stated. There are (supposedly) millions of good Catholics in the US, but the majority disregard the rules on birth control.
So why do people teach religious ritual if they don't buy into the whole thing as was the case in the past?
I'm afraid to ask what lies I taught...