But if I started to consider organized religion, I'd have to go even deeper.  I'd have to point out how entities or groups that are started by humans seem to somehow also take on a life of their own.  Organized religions like Catholicism, Mormonism, Islam, heck even Scientology (gawd, don't get me started on Scientology) have properties in common with bureaucracies, corporations, political parties, and governments.  Once they get a certain amount of power, they seem to have the will (and now I'm anthropomorphizing again) to retain or increase that power.  This will comes from the collective wills of the people involved in the group, and sometimes a charismatic leader.  But what is interesting is that the really strong organizations survive even after that charismatic leader has left the game.  I can't think of good individual examples right now, but I'm sure you can think of some.

Some people tend to view these groups with suspicion, which is healthy.  They can be responsible for the most horrible atrocities (holocausts, genocides, terrorism).  But they can also be responsible for some great (in the full sense of the word) things that advance the human race (democracy, science-based medicine, public education).

We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.

by aidbo on 06/17/2009 04:27:35 PM EST

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