All forms of practiced religion are inventions of humanity, whatever your views are on deity. Mohammad was a camel driver in caravans that carried the wealth of Jews and Christians, so his exposure to those faiths influenced his creation of Islam, whatever the source of his inspiration that inspired him to testify.

puzzlelady -

You have stated an important and often overlooked piece of the puzzle. Tribal societies are collectivist non-egalitarian units where the life of the individual is regulated from birth to death. (Non-egalitarian in that the chief is overtly supposed to get the best stuff - there is no facade of equal sharing.) This is where everyone started.

We have worked our way into a world where the individual matters, but a successful religion that 'controls the individual from birth to death' is very popular and comforting to Christians going from tribal European groups to kingdoms and eventually countries in the 5th-8th century AD...or tribal ME nomads going from the Mesolithic to evolved civilization in a few generations in the 7th century AD. It is very comforting to have a 'script' for your entire life instead of having 'parameters and paradigms' that oblige you to think and give you uncertainty.

The folks on this list are on the far end of the spectrum. Even those people here who believe in a deity believe in self-responsibility and individuality.

I think it is important to see that 'this is where we all came from', puzzlelady. 'Tribal collectivism' is not something that is only in 'somebody else's past'...it is in our past too. I am perplexed that it has carried over so successfully into modern life, however, especially in a part of the world that invented writing.

Jan

Done. Check your message box. I almost went to the limit.

Jan, I question your knowledge of how the arab mind works or doesn't work. The muslim arabs have chosen to remain in the 7th century. I have known many Israelis and they look at the youth of the arab world as future fighters against them, so they think nothing of killing these kids, sorry to say that but it is true. the mothers of these youth support them so they too are the enemy. I grew up neighboring an arab community here in the states so I was exposed to their lack of thinking or as Ayn Rand would say lack reason. I just read on MEMRI that the isis people will not only not back down from the bombing that we are now doing but will I expect expand their efforts else where around the world and that may very well mean attacks here in the USA. Not a pleasant thought is it. so the answer to ending this tragic situation is to turn the desert to glass. you can believe as you will but these arabs are the missing link, they look like humans but the have proven time and time again that they do not function like humans.