After Plato had written his elitism - based Republic he observed that it couldn't work without state religion, a partnership which was always a feature of ancient civilizations, and continues to this day. Religious, or more exactly, transcendent ideas can work on a personal level, but when incorporated in the state have always given legitimacy to injustice, even irrational, counterintuitive falsehoods. The egregious abortion laws in Texas is a timely, practical example. Quietism, passivity, mysticism in Eastern religions have kept the masses in Asian countries in line, they have even been sold the idea, not very successfully, that all is just illusion anyway, their suffering, and Christianity in the West has been to some degree successful in doing the same. To be free means to reject negative, ugly ideas and the myths on which they are based. Believe in the universe, creation and beauty, and the ability of human beings guided by reason and empathy to do the right thing. And there are no rites, doctrines, diktats associated, or can possibly be in harmony with that idea. True democracy-derived laws, though, are necessary and fine, so long as they meet the qualifications, and don't preclude the inevitability and necessity of change.
After Plato had written his elitism - based Republic he observed that it couldn't work without state religion, a partnership which was always a feature of ancient civilizations, and continues to this day. Religious, or more exactly, transcendent ideas can work on a personal level, but when incorporated in the state have always given legitimacy to injustice, even irrational, counterintuitive falsehoods. The egregious abortion laws in Texas is a timely, practical example. Quietism, passivity, mysticism in Eastern religions have kept the masses in Asian countries in line, they have even been sold the idea, not very successfully, that all is just illusion anyway, their suffering, and Christianity in the West has been to some degree successful in doing the same. To be free means to reject negative, ugly ideas and the myths on which they are based. Believe in the universe, creation and beauty, and the ability of human beings guided by reason and empathy to do the right thing. And there are no rites, doctrines, diktats associated, or can possibly be in harmony with that idea. True democracy-derived laws, though, are necessary and fine, so long as they meet the qualifications, and don't preclude the inevitability and necessity of change.