A Very Dangerous Question

Nothing separates us more than ingrained belief systems . Communal beliefs are generally acquired and embedded through repetitive indoctrination, are a carry over from ancient attempts to explain and order human affairs, and are sustained by writings declared sacred and by ritual.
Communal belief systems expand their membership through evangelism and conquest and develop internal order and control mechanisms copied from more secular systems, both despotic and democratic. Members hold their basic tenants of faith above question, are extremely sensitive to contradiction and will  defend their beliefs by force when necessary.
Communities based on faith and ritual often attribute their insight and special self importance to a unique link to a god or gods and a special understanding of god's directives. Protecting and sustaining a faith requires evangelical efforts as well as membership control and a constant defense against societal changes brought about by science and technology and other belief systems.
When gods were more numerous and had names one could ask about one's beliefs as simply and safely as if inquiring into ones well being without risking a defensive response, but with the rise of a single god concept and the idea that ordinary individuals could interact with god without the intervention of a priestly mediator, faith based communities took on new characteristics and became more militant and susceptible to manipulation.

The question; "Do you believe in God?"  is not a question you ask a stranger if you want to open a friendly conversation. You may naively assume that everyone defines the word "belief" in the same way and assume that everyone knows and understands what you mean by "god" since there is only one and everyone knows who he is. Ask this question repeatedly at work and you will quickly attract the attention of a supervisor. Ask the question in a bar and you will find yourself sitting alone. Ask the question in a church and you will get more questioning looks than positive answers. The reason for this is that their is as many gods as there are human believers and belief is not a quantifiable term and has many levels from fanatical commitment to pretense. Even within faith based communities schisms develop and can become violent. Faith is a specific commitment to a
codified set of behavioral directives dictated by a supreme being as interpreted by officials appointed, or elected, from within the faithful community. When the question, "Do you believe in god?" is asked, more often than not it is answered by drawing a defensive line separating believers from non believers or to identify those with different beliefs who might pose a threat. When differences are identified mistrust is inevitable. Conflicts are usually initiated, not by the community of the faithful, but by the priestly guides who see their power positions threatened.

Past faith based conflicts have been between competing faiths and radical belief systems but as science feeds technology and technology exposes natures secrets the general population becomes more rational and fact based faith based causing faith based communities to become more defensive and more combative.

Dangerous lines are being drawn between the faithful and the secular, between those who pray and  those who don't. The ritual of prayer has become the control mechanism used by modern despots who would exploit the faithful and turn them into weapons. For these new manipulators of faith the question is not; "Do you believe in god, or do you pray, but "How do you pray?"  Ritual, not faith, now identifies the chosen ones.