The Psychology of Religion, Chapter 24: Behavioural Restrictions

In some cases, religious groups prescribe particular foods, particular styles of dress, and particular behavioural expectations that are only loosely related to a moral issue—if they are related at all. Sometimes these practices can be understood as ordinary cultural variations with obscure origins. But often there is a sense that the rules are rigid and imperative, such that veering away from them is treated as an offence—either against the religious community or family, or against God. At times these restrictions make it difficult to live freely or comfortably in modern society.

One major function of these rules, in practice, is their signalling value: they remind others (and even oneself) of group affiliation and loyalty. This is comparable to other mechanisms groups use to bolster cohesion. When there are visible styles of appearance and behaviour that clearly mark membership, it becomes easier to find fellow members—and easier to be suspicious of outsiders. Over time, people can become fond of these behavioural symbols. They can evoke powerful feelings associated with the religion, and can function like wearing a ring with special significance every day and night for years, beginning in childhood. People may then feel uneasy or even guilty without it, and feel relief when they encounter others wearing the same symbol.

But if the “ring,” so to speak, becomes massive and cumbersome—if it begins to hinder ordinary life—then what once felt meaningful can become a kind of burden. (It starts to resemble the peacock’s tail: a costly display that signals loyalty, but at a real practical price.)

We see similar dynamics in modern culture in many settings—uniforms, subcultures, and corporate branding. Often these are harmless variations. The darker side appears when people do not wish to participate, when the rules become tools of control, or when symbols are used to suppress ordinary human behaviour—and when the person faces rejection or punishment from peers for noncompliance.

A related dark side of religious dogma is doctrine-based condemnation or discrimination against people whose lifestyles are not endorsed by the group. Often, at root, this is an ordinary human tendency—present in many non-religious settings as well—to exclude or denigrate people who are different, even when they are not harming anyone. But the best of religious texts call people to rise above this: to be inclusive, non-judgmental, and unfailingly loving toward everyone, not only toward those who share the same beliefs or lifestyle. There are various Biblical stories, for example, of reaching out in a loving, accepting way to members of groups that were widely vilified in their own time.