You're oversimplifying the matter. Religion is not all that. The most non-religious democracies of the world are showing that to be the case. The only real threat they face is that they are so docile, they will give too many concessions to islam, and as a result, will be walked all over. Islamification of these countries is the last thing the world needs.
Not necessarily islamification as much as aggressive Islamification leading to more aggression
All of your posts on this matter resemble something you'd see in the deep south in America. But of course, where you get so many deeply religious people, you can not avoid fundamentalism.
That is because faith is confused for religion
Fundamentalism occurs when there are fundamentals. It occurs when faith is taken into areas of life that it does not belong, and it occurs when it is institutionilized and militarized.
Everyone has faith. Atheists have faith. In something. Nobody on this planet has no faith in anything.
Some like to have faith in a higher power
Others may have faith in Human power
But everyone has faith.
Faith is something personal. It does not call for fundamentals or bickering or control.
That is religion.
Faith, on the other hand, is a personal system. It's a system in which a man may be able to work up to. It's a system that may give a man hope, courage, and goals.
There's certainly control (or attempts at it), but whether it is safe is another question. Witch burnings spring to mind...
A flaw, but not one characteristic of religion in general. Only institutionalized religion, which becomes intolerant.
Would you argue that Christ was intolerant? I do no think so.
Christ said "Love your fellow man" and he also said to have hope in each other and in Humanity.
He never said you had to go to church or that there had to be a pope or that if you don't follow his religion you have to die.
That's just fine - up to the point where they try to impose it on everybody else as well.
The disadvantage of institutionalized religion. When it becomes an actual faction, instead of a personal faith system.
Why is conformity such a great thing? If you have a bunch of mindless sheep following the leader, is that good?
No, of course not.
Conformity is a good thing in that it gives a society common ground. Cultural and traditional conformity within a society is good in that the people will feel comfortable with each other.
However, conformity does not mean you can't do it another way, it simply establishes a certain way that the people can do it and have them on common ground while doing it.
It depends on the ritual. Some are harmless; others are harmful. Human sacrifice springs to mind...
That's not what I meant. I meant ritual to be used in the sense as "tradition".
