This is the third installment of the series on culture. If you haven’t read the first two, I highly recommend you read those first. Here are links to those: Culture: The Death of Humanity and You Can’t Have Culture Without A Cult. This article will focus on culture and the State. As terrifying as religion causing human sacrifice is, the State has much more power. Religions, especially modern religions, have infinitely less power than governments. Let's briefly go over the power of religion.
Let's Talk About Religion Again!
In the old days, religion ruled the lands. However, you couldn't be forced to be religious. There would certainly be consequences of leaving a religious cult, but you could leave. Maybe people would think you were possessed by evil spirits. Maybe they wouldn't talk to you. Who knows? It really doesn't matter, because they couldn't force you to do anything. Obviously, there are the extreme examples of things like the Spanish Inquisition and Salem Witch Trials that showed more force from religion. These are important to note for a historical perspective, but don't translate well to modern religion.
Let's Talk About Religion Again!
In the old days, religion ruled the lands. However, you couldn't be forced to be religious. There would certainly be consequences of leaving a religious cult, but you could leave. Maybe people would think you were possessed by evil spirits. Maybe they wouldn't talk to you. Who knows? It really doesn't matter, because they couldn't force you to do anything. Obviously, there are the extreme examples of things like the Spanish Inquisition and Salem Witch Trials that showed more force from religion. These are important to note for a historical perspective, but don't translate well to modern religion.