ABSTRACT
Many readers may find it strange that it is only at a point more than half way through this book that I am starting to write about the individual. After all, they may reason, all religion, including fundamentalist religion, is a matter of individual choice. We may choose whether or not to believe in God, and what to believe about Him (or Her). However, this perception that religion is a purely personal matter is likely to be culturally influenced. Most readers will be from late-modern Western cultures that increasingly emphasise individuality at the expense of collectivism. It is the individual’s right to choose whatever best suits their needs, we believe.
