ABSTRACT
Authoritarians will naturally gravitate toward the more punitive sects within their religion and the more authoritarian practices of their religion. The authoritarian Buddhist will revere strict sitting and will love the idea of smacking squirming meditators with a stick. The authoritarian Catholic will argue for the Pope's infallibility. The authoritarian Hindu will pine for the heyday of the caste system and the banished practice of untouchability. Authoritarians exploit institutions. Religion and the military are two institutions that they naturally love. Authoritarians are always on the lookout for circumstances that they can exploit. For both authoritarian leaders and authoritarian followers, religion is a wonderful convenience. It allows them to lord it over other people, since they alone know the truth. It also allows them to punish people guilt-free, since that punishment is on a god's orders.
