Comment Re:Religion is... (Score 1) 392
Religion is, and has always been, the main way humans self-organise and coordinate on a large scale. Modern civilisation has its advantages, but one drawback is that the rules are too numerous, can only really be understood by experts and is open to abuse by vested interests. Religion also has these shortcomings, but is generally much simpler in nature. We have a few thousand years of religious history to study how that part of human psychology works, and it is not surprising to see religious behaviour emerging naturally in secular aspects of life. (Fans following a football team are probably an excellent source of examples here.)
The state is, and has always been, the main way humans self-organise and coordinate on a large scale. Modern civilisation has its advantages, but one drawback is that the rules are too numerous, can only really be understood by experts and is open to abuse by vested interests. The state also has these shortcomings, but is generally much simpler in nature. We have a few thousand years of political history to study how that part of human psychology works, and it is not surprising to see political behaviour emerging naturally in many aspects of life. (Fans following a football team are probably an excellent source of examples here.)