Why insist on such a broad definition of religion? I know it’s hard to define, but this definition is so broad it can include a vast array of things. You believe in gravity because you read a book about it, subscribe to newton’s laws and proceed to drop things move or jump without the expectation of flying away, while believing it’s not good to jump out a window ‘cause you’ll die thanks to gravity? Must be a religion. You read about metal working and the physics behind it (believing it is possible due to the laws of the universe and not human rules) then do metalworking with the intention of making money or something of creative value? Religion. You may object that a religion has to be a worldview, but Harari acts like the only reason the theory of relativity isn’t a religion is because it doesn’t have associated practice or values. Also plenty of communists are Christians or Buddhists (if the atheist kind), and who calls stoicism a religion?
But also, why is not Christianism and Judaism and Capitalism together with Islam and Buddhism and Communism?
Idk, it’s almost like he’s trying to drill into the readers’ minds that communism is a religion/cult, and thus imbed anti-communism. I know that’s all I remembered from my first read, not that he thinks ideology is the same as religion and even liberalism would be described as religion.