Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[fuagf]

.. since both Islam and Christianity have been deeply influenced by Judaism. In the three
religious institutions, women have essentially been singled out as the wearers of the veil ..
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One of the most influential foundations of a culture is the religious institution. Religion functions as an institution, among other reasons, by being a form of social control.2 Religious institutions are at once delicate and dangerous, for their development initially depends on the power a particular society chooses to give them. However, once they have grown enough to take on an independent identity, power--in its power-over form3--is generated from within, influencing and affecting and even controlling those nearby. (Because religion is a form of (social) control, I consider the power used within religious institutions to be of a negative power-over type.) As it becomes larger and more powerful, a religious institution becomes farther removed from the spirituality that had motivated its early stages of existence. Increasing power is directed towards greasing the wheels that keep the Thing in motion (pushing to stay alive for better or worse) rather than focusing on the original source of inspiration. Power as an entity in itself becomes the coveted treasure, while spirituality is remembered less often.

Like the genie in the bottle, power may be maintained only so long as it is contained .....
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