Give me a chance here!  I'm gonna connect it to food!!

The "major" religions of the world.....Christianity,
Islam, Judaism.....promote the attitude that nothing really
matters here on this little planet except "perfecting" one's
soul in preparation for the "afterlife."   Pollute the planet!
Go ahead!  It doesn't matter because your "real" destiny
is in the "afterlife."     Accept your poverty and/or
slavery!  Go ahead!   These things don't matter because
they are of this world and your "real" destiny is in the
"afterlife."       Refuse to be responsible for your actions.
Go ahead!   After all, all was ordained by "god" at the
moment of "Creation" and you have no real control
over anything anyway!

So, how do I think all this connects to food?   The most
poverty-ridden areas of the world depend almost
exclusively on grains and beans (of one sort or another)
for their subsistence.   It wasn't until people settled into
the lives of grain-growers that anyone had the need
and/or opportunity to establish the heirarchies that
became governments and/or religious institutions.
As long as people were wandering across the landscape
gathering and hunting....and maybe herding.....there
was little opportunity for the "civilizing" aspects of
government and/or religion to arise.    Wanderers
don't build great cities.    Only farmers can do so.
The crops are in the ground.....nothing much to
do until harvest....put all those people to work
building your castle.....or town.....or temple.

I see a connection between the "civilization"
of wandering hunter/gatherers and the change
in diet that lead to so much consumption of
grains.........and religion played its part by telling
the people that it didn't matter how hard their
lives were......their "reward" was waiting for
them in the "afterlife."    So.....in my own opinion....
the growth of these sorts of religions was
directly connected to the growth of what Daniel
Quinn calls "totalitarian agriculture."

Someone asked what "crop" these religions
cultivated.....of course, the religious answer is
"souls."   But by supporting the development of
agriculture, the religions were supporting the
development of the grain-foods.    How else
does a "priesthood" arise?   You must have
enough 'surplus' food on hand that someone
doesn't have to get out and hunt antelope.....
that gives someone time to develop his/her
'spiritual leadership.'

Hey, does it show that I'm not a christian?

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