Religion:
Religion, according to Augustine, means "religare" or to bind you together (e.g. with a "ligament" or "ligature"). Augustine's religion ties you up (with a ligature).

But centuries earlier, Cisero defined religion as "re-logos" or a repetition of logic. That is, a person repeats a message (a lesson or symbolic action) in order to understand the idea better. For example, sacrificing to a Roman god to show allegiance to the state.

"Re-legos" is about the logic behind beliefs and practices that unite a group. So it is more likely to produce long term progress. But "religare" is about getting people to work together even when they don't want to. So sometimes a "religare" can beat a "re-legos" in the short term.

Introduction
About Pythagoras
What is theology?
What are humans?
Why do things exist?
What is time?
Higher intelligences
The simulation argument
Anything else?