Religion's Effects

I agree Bo, there are definitely common principles between Durkheim's idea of religion, and contemporary religion. Especially in the fact that for some it shapes our thought and language, thus the expression of one's collective consciousness. We all have an collective idealized reality and can use religion in helping to attain the ideal. This somewhat reminds me of Freud's theory of how attaining self-actualization was the great conquest of life. Durkheim also states that that there is no overlapping between categories between different groups, which I think is a bit overreaching on his parts. For example, all religions have placed value upon a sacred object, which at one point was just an object. They make have different names for the same object, but it is regarded in the same way.