[Serious] Literal and Not Literal

[Belacqua]

I cannot agree at all that religion is a particularly effective way to push values that aren't tied to money.

...

You will probably tell me evangelicals they are a minority in Christianity (true in terms of numbers, though not influence) and that there are people who live by the same holy book who are wonderful human beings (which calls into question whether their beliefs actually had anything to do with it).

Yes, very much granted...

Any religion at its worst just ties itself into the local contingent power. And when it serves as a rallying point against worldly power -- as it does in the Muslim world against US aggression -- that doesn't mean it's going to be an admirable set of values, necessarily.