ABSTRACT
One of the most common ways people study religion is based on the assumption that their own religious tradition is the correct one; we can call it the "my religion is true" approach. There are several problems with the theory that religions are essentially belief systems that direct practitioners' behavior. Some traditions emphasize orthopraxy over orthodoxy; even in those religious or cultural traditions that emphasize belief or doctrine, rarely are the beliefs ever systematically connected to one another; people's behavior may openly conflict with their stated beliefs; people in cultural traditions rarely accept all of the "official" beliefs or doctrines they inherit from their tradition; and social scientific research shows that human behavior is often motivated by social conditions. This chapter first considers some cultural element—a myth, set of symbols, ritual, etc. Then, it approaches the material with suspicion and methodological atheism. Finally, it looks for a functionalist explanation for the data under consideration.
