My simplistic take: Religions start with a seed of revelation. Some person somewhere has a vision and attempts to explain it to others. They get a few takers, their apostles if you will, and on it goes from there, further and further from the original revelation like whisper down the lane. Before you know it you’ve got texts and dogma and ritual and buildings and Christmas cards. And infantilized followers, also known as the flock. Baaaah.

What fascinates me is that they, not necessarily the true founding mystics but rather their first followers, do not wish divine revelation for all. That would threaten their power. I can see no other reason.

I wish the purpose of organized religion was giving people the tools to have their own direct experience of the divine, a school for mystics. But no, no, no! That would be to anarchic. Hence the burning of witches and shamans.

I rant.