Well for one thing, religion often states a specific code of social
behavior
> for its members. It also helps educate its members, builds unity or social
> glue, is a massive support group, etc.
> Religion is metaphysics, but it is also ethics, and socializing with like
> minded others.

Good point.  It raises the question of whether there could be
a non-metaphysical substitute for religion.  One thinks of
Confucianism, which AFAIK offers those other benefits without
the metaphysics.

But why aren't non-metaphysical "religions" more common?
People seem to want the metaphysics, in addition to the
other stuff.  And religions split over issues of metaphysics
rather than over codes of behavior or disputes over the
right way to handle the social welfare functions.  So it
seems that the metaphysics in not a dispensible part of
the package.
 >>


Well if I may, I'll go back to basics.
It is my contention that any organism has
4 options in dealing with that which is around it.
And these evolve from 
energy in (2 options) 
waste out (2 options).

To evolve this to social behavior we can restate
it this way.

1. move toward what nurtures
(or nurture self)
the 'friend and tend behavior'.

OR

2. move against what does not nurture
( or separate from  what does not nurture self)
the 'fight or flight behavior'


So every positive aspect of religion is either 

help in moving toward what nurtures

or its opposite

help in moving against
or separating from that which does not nurture

Those two option-sets are at the basis of all
behavior IMO

What is impossibly complex are the novel
ways those two sets of options can evolve
in  human society.

Tom
---
þ RIMEGate(tm)/RGXPost V1.14 at BBSWORLD * Info{at}bbsworld.com

---
 * RIMEGate(tm)V10.2áÿ* RelayNet(tm) NNTP Gateway * MoonDog BBS
 * RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 6/14/04 5:14:59 PM