Collective Religious Forces in Defining Divinity
Collective religious compulsions shape the choice of deity and the formation of worship, as they exert significant pressure through shared perceptions and group norms. This pressure manifests both in the effort to unite diverse religious elements under a common name and in the demand to exclude alternative interpretations. For example, as noted in one source, the collective perception of God can lead to syncretism:"The God of modern religious kitsch is called 'The One' because He absorbs all gods. If the God of the Bible were regarded as one among many others, as one of many emanations of The One, it would be natural to venerate other deities alongside Him. ... But when the Light came, when the possibility of direct appeal to God was revealed, it was no longer possible to remain in a world of pagan ambiguities. Turning away from Christ, who came to the people, and reverting to old pagan incantations means opposing Christ, denying Him." (source: link txt)From this, it follows that in the collective consciousness, it is the widely accepted frameworks and dogmas that play a decisive role in determining which deity is considered true and worthy of worship. Public opinion, traditions, and even reactions to previous religious practices can lead to the selection of a deity being formed as either exclusive or inclusive, wherein the overall canon allows for a polyphony of images and symbols. Thus, collective religious compulsions act as a filter through which individual beliefs are transformed into organized and unified cultic behavior.