On: Death of a Programmer, Life of a Farmer

[crpatino]

I beg to differ on the monopoly of religion over the power of hierarchies.

Take the military by example. They have a remarkably good track record of literally sending men to die, in full knowledge that their chances or survival are negligible.

There are many other less dramatic cases: at work in both the private and public sector, at the school's social dynamic, at charitable organizations, and yes in the church.

[sliverstorm → crpatino]

But militaries don't form hippie communes, at least that I've ever heard of.

[crpatino → sliverstorm]

And hippies don't go to war either. But how is that relevant to the point of religion being the only way to make people work against their own interest.

[sliverstorm → crpatino]

Ah, I now realize you were objecting to this:

Religion usually has a built-in power structure that nothing else has been able to replicate.

I wasn't sufficiently clear. I meant within the context of "things that have been used as a basis for communes", religion stands alone.

[sliverstorm → crpatino]

You missed what the point was.

The statement was that historically communes only work out when founded on religion.