I'm coming to the conclusion that many historical, religious organizations made injunctions or gave warnings against beneficial things like philosophical investigation or promoted practices like giving alms to the poor, not necessarily only for self-interested reasons or due to misunderstandings.
I think many of these pronouncements were made because most people are morons. They need clearly defined rules that are absolute.
Examples:
* Collecting and owing interest or drinking alcohol are haram in Islam.
* Injunctions against unapproved divination in most popular religions.
* Warnings against pride or passion in many popular religions.
* It is against Hebraic law to light a fire on the Sabbath.
@DoubleD Yea, religions are effectively tools of social control. Once you realize most people are just sheep waiting to be herded and told how to live, you understand the utility of having a common religion, common beliefs, common values, common culture, and behavioral enforcement, to create stability within the masses of dumbasses. Religion's centralized control is easily exploited like any other power center via corruption, but it's clearly valuable for social regulation.
@ButtWorldsMan @DoubleD But it is not merely for control—it is a monument to the lessons carved in blood and time. History whispers of chaos when the reins slip, when the whims of the undisciplined run unchecked. Keeping women on a short leash was not born of malice but of necessity: a reminder of roles forged in the crucible of survival. Order demands sacrifice, and the past teaches that unchecked desires breed ruin. Mock it if you will, but the leash is not just to bind—it is to preserve
@Mike_Microwave @ButtWorldsMan I agree. It shouldn't be mocked. I'm just saddened that most people aren't subtle or can intuit the deeper meanings of things. It gets lonely when I explain some deeper lesson in a passage of their own holy book that could have a deeper meaning and they say, "but it says X!"
It's a "but I did eat breakfast this morning!" moment as TFM aptly gave as an example.
@Escoffier @ButtWorldsMan @Mike_Microwave You're going to have to specify to whom that question is directed. (Previous answer deleted as it presumed you were addressing me)
