Mary Douglas Quotes & Sayings (Page 3)

“Hierarchy works well in a stable environment.”

“Behind a leader there must be followers, but they should always be on the lookout for the main chance and ready to change sides if the current leader doesn't deliver.”

“It is only partly true that religion does more harm than good in society. The community makes God into the image it wants, vengeful, or milky sweet, or scrupulously just, and so on.”

“Just in our lifetime our society has become looser and more private, it becomes extremely difficult to hold to any permanent commitment whatever, least of all to organized religion.”

“The theory of cultural bias... is the idea that a culture is based on a particular form of organization. It can't be transplanted except to another variant of that organization.”

“The natural response of the old-timers is to build a strong moral wall against the outside. This is where the world starts to be painted in black and white, saints inside, and sinners outside the wall.”

“It is very reasonable to worry about the harm done by organized religion, and to prefer looser and more private arrangements.”

“It's unlikely that the organized religions will get more sectarian... or is it? I am not at all sure.”

“I have increasingly, over the years, felt that religion today does our civilization more harm than good.”

“When we are reflecting on terrorism we can grieve for many things we do and have done.”