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Super interesting stuff. I second OftenBen and recommend making a tag.

I'd like to comment a bit on religion as an identity. Especially in the modern practice of religion, this is immensely important. I have no idea what factor it played waaaaay back in the day but today it is probably the main reason people join or continue to practice religion these days.

I just listened to a podcast about Jonestown and it's fresh in my mind so here's one example. Jonestown is often portrayed as a nutty group of mindless followers who went off to Guyana to follow a nutty dude to "drink the Kool Aid". In reality, the earliest followers of Jim Jones were people who felt connected to him and the message he was spreading. He started attracting followers in early 1950s - you had major issues with race and integration happening across the country. You also had the McCarthy Hearings going on. There was a massive amount of ostracism towards a whole number of different groups of people. Poverty, neglect, hatred, social uprising, etc. Every one of his followers were attracted to belonging to a group of people - and following a man - who they could relate to in those regards. They stuck around and almost 1000 people followed him to Guyana because of that and his promises of a better life.

The desire to belong and share your life with likeminded people is simply human nature. It comes in many forms - family, friends, religion, cults, internet forums, gangs, meetups, etc.

Religion is more than just belonging to a group and sharing with likeminded people but it is one thing that all religions have in common - from today to waaaay back in the earliest of religions.

One of the most interesting things about Jonestown was that the beliefs of this religion/cult weren't anything new or awe-inspiring. They literally just believed that socialism and traditional Christianity would solve their social problems. In terms of religion or believing in a higher power, it's barely there.

Even in the tapes of the congregants final moments, they don't speak of a God or gods. They speak about life and death and the turmoils of life and how death is easier than life. The only person they thank for their life, etc. is Jim Jones ("father") who has made himself out to be a prophet at this point.

Anyways, this is what makes religion so interesting to me. You know what religion is when you see it - when you hear about it - but there seem to be exceptions to every definition of religion that I've ever heard. Even the hardcore atheists - the ones who preach atheism and go to atheism meetups - seem to be more and more like a religion these days.