I've been re-reading all the posts to this thread, and to me Llanfair has made some good points. I couldn't reply to him/her as Guests were suddenly banned and I had to wait to get one of those Cookie things.

Llanfair:-
"I also believe that the scriptures have been tweaked over time to be a form of social control."
and:-
"Translated by the powerful literate to keep the great unwashed in their place."

I like his/her appreciation of 'Mother Nature' too.

There are many, as I see it, ridiculous and dodgy interpretations of religions.
For instance, my poor husband, in the searing heat of Africa, carrying huge sacks of cement on his back, was expected during the month of Ramadan to eat nothing from dawn until dusk, but what is worse, to drink nothing either. He says people regularly collapsed, and at the end of Ramadan, folk were weak and ill, which is probably due to dehydration and kidney damage.

On a lighter note, the little old lady who washes the church linen was ill, and I volunteered to do it. It included the 'purificator', a small white cloth used for wiping the chalice between customers. I was told to wash it by hand in a little bowl, then to tip the dirty water onto bare earth. I was puzzled and asked why I couldn't just bung it in the washing machine. No, the cloth had been in contact with The Consecrated Wine and therefore the washing water couldn't go down the drain. I'm afraid I burst out laughing. I'd never heard anything so daft in all my born days.

In my confirmation classes, (I was ten) we were told never to eat for 3 hours before Communion. I asked why. The vicar said that the bread couldn't be in the stomach along with other food, so you had to give your last meal time to go down a bit. My father (not a believer) laughed like a drain when I told him that.

My husband should never touch a dog and should only eat halal meat.

I'm sorry to say, he loves bacon and adores our neighbour's huge dog, who licks him all over, to his delight. He doesn't 'do' Ramadan any more, and I don't think I'll tell the Rector I did bung the purificator in the washing machine. God hasn't yet struck us both dead with a lightning bolt.
My point is, we are both confident enough to use common sense when following our respective beliefs. We neither of us feel that God is a nasty vindictive chap watching our every move and neither of us want to thrust our religions down other people's throats.
All these man-made rules are indeed a form of control, which is a bit sinister.