text: why is religion universal to human culture, but religious intolerance among different cultures so prevalent? all humans use and make tools, have musical traditions, have language and storytelling. some universal traditions seem more and less "civilized" than others, but on the whole, we tend to accept other people's musics and languages as they are. why don't we accept their religions the same way, as in "it's not what i learned from my people, but maybe it's valuable in its own social context"? i'll hear any opinion on this question. can you? religion develops as a means to provide a grand explanation for *everything* (ie. weather, sources of food, death, interpersonal relationships, social systems, etc.).   it gives people a sense of security and predictability.  sometimes the use of religion goes beyond predictability to the point of being used for control.    when one questions someone else's religious beliefs sometimes that triggers an insecurity that gets expressed as hostility.  if the questioning reduces control and individual has become dependent upon to maintain social or economic status the response can be extremely hostile.    this is not to dismiss "religion" as a merely useful (for some) fiction.  institutionalized atheism (china, and stalin's russia) has killed many people as well.  i guess you could just lump religion in with any ideology that attempts to assert itself on others through political or social means.