"Apart from philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists and historians I do not know of any other group that studies and analyses religion.
Posted by Mr Opinion, Friday, 6 November 2015 8:47:24 PM"

You left out theologians and politicians.

Dear Is Mise,

Politicians do not study religion FULL STOP. That is simply just not what politicians do.

Theologians only study the text of their religious doctrine in order to engage in discourse with the converted on the tenets of worship and religious understanding. They definitely do not study religion in the ways or for the reasons that philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists and historians do.

Dear Mr Opinion,

The most philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists and historians can study about religion without experiencing religion themselves, is the impression of religion on society.

Some find how religion benefits society, others find detrimental effects on society, but since their only field of interest is society, they are happy and do not ask for anything more profound.

As for theologians, the lowest among them are just theorising and construct mental sand-castles; the mediocres are as you mentioned yourself, studying a limited set of religious techniques/practices/methods which can help elevating a particular group of people in particular circumstances; but the best study and teach the common foundations of all religions, irrespective of the specific cultures in which they operate.

Dear yuyutsu,

Your sentence 'The most philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists and historians can study about religion without experiencing religion themselves, is the impression of religion on society.' tells me straightaway that you have never studied philosophy, sociology, anthropology or history. But that's OK because these are the really interesting subjects in life and I encourage amateurs like yourself to engage in the debates because it means that you are at least thinking about and enjoying the subjects I have dedicated my life to studying.

Dear Mr. Opinion,

Some of my family members also find those four disciplines interesting, but I don't.

I think that it takes a belief in progress to be interested, as if humanity is a story of marching towards the rising sun. There could of course be temporary setbacks, which make the story more interesting, but overall in the long term it only gets better.

And I disagree.

An interest in those subjects tends to increase our attachment to the human state, instilling in us the desire to come back again and again to re-experience the human condition and to find out how humanity has advanced.

This roller-coaster of pleasure and pain, birth and death, I had enough of. It's time for me to step off, to stop looking outward for more, but to turn my gaze inward so I never again return to the world in general and to this human condition in particular. This is my aim and why I turn to religion instead.

Dear yuyutsu,

That is the third most confusing thing you have said to me.