I think most people want the same basic things in life… comfort, a sense of well being, peace on earth. They will go to great lengths to achieve these, and the avenues to achieving them are varied.

Part of this comfort is a sense of belonging… to a family, perhaps a political group or religious organization.

The reasons are often subconscious, and so the avenue can become the objective itself. This is not good. Devoting yourself wholeheartedly to an organization is inviting corruption, and so the effect can be the opposite of the need it was intended to meet.

It leads to abuse of power and alienation of those not in your particular group.

When the metaphor you’ve adopted sees itself as truth, it no longer meets the need for which it was intended.

I think the elaborate myths behind such organizations are just that… fictional stories that have evolved from sweet picture books to horror. When your accepted leaders dictate your beliefs, you no longer think for yourself. You become a pawn in their game.

This is not a road to peace on earth.