It seems to me that in most times and in most places, religion is more about ritual and performance than about assent to propositions. It's something people DO.
So for example if a Japanese college kid is applying to a difficult grad school to study advanced physics, he'll probably go to the local shrine and write out a little plaque entreating the god for success on his application. Whether he believes in the god or the ritual's effectiveness barely matters. It's just something that's done.
So for example if a Japanese college kid is applying to a difficult grad school to study advanced physics, he'll probably go to the local shrine and write out a little plaque entreating the god for success on his application. Whether he believes in the god or the ritual's effectiveness barely matters. It's just something that's done.