The history of the Church of Rome is a constant leakage of members into such breakaway cults, which go on splitting.

It is very reasonable to worry about the harm done by organized religion, and to prefer looser and more private arrangements.

Inequality can have a bad downside, but equality, for its part, sure does get in the way of coordination.

Religion can make it worse. Are you supposing that if people were encouraged to believe in a transcendent reality, and to be encouraged by grand rituals and music and preaching, to love their neighbors, then they would put jealousy and frustration aside?

Without the letters of condolence, telegrams of congratulations and even occasional postcards, the friendship of a separated friend is not a social reality. It has no existence without the rites of friendship. Social rituals create a reality which would be nothing without them.

When we are reflecting on terrorism we can grieve for many things we do and have done.

Every year the progress of advanced capitalist society makes our population consist of more and more isolates. This is because of the infrastructure of the economy, especially electronic communications.