--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Besides justifying the transfer of wealth…" description: "\"Besides justifying the transfer of wealth to kleptocrats, institutionalized religion brings two other important benefits to centralized societies. Firs..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/jared-diamond-2519_behalf_besides-justifying-the-transfer-of-wealt_3157194.png" --- # Besides justifying the transfer of wealth to kleptocrats… ![“Besides justifying the transfer of wealth to kleptocrats, institutionalized religion brings two other important benefits to centralized societies. First, shared ideology or religion helps solve the problem of how unrelated individuals are to live together without killing each other—by providing…” quote by Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/jared-diamond-2519_behalf_besides-justifying-the-transfer-of-wealt_3157194.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/jared-diamond-2519_behalf_besides-justifying-the-transfer-of-wealt_3157194.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/jared-diamond-2519_behalf_besides-justifying-the-transfer-of-wealt_3157194.png) > “Besides justifying the transfer of wealth to kleptocrats, institutionalized religion brings two other important benefits to centralized societies. First, shared ideology or religion helps solve the problem of how unrelated individuals are to live together without killing each other—by providing them with a bond not based on kinship. Second, it gives people a motive, other than genetic self-interest, for sacrificing their lives on behalf of others.” [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion unifies strangers, providing shared values and altruistic motives beyond self‑interest. **In simple terms:** Religion creates social bonds and altruism. Key Takeaway Leverage shared values for cooperation. Themes social cohesion altruism ideology Mood analytical critical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - Community building - conflict resolution - public policy - charitable initiatives Key Concepts Collective identity moral motivation Questions to Reflect On - Can secular systems replicate these benefits? - What risks arise from shared ideology? A Different Perspective Religion can also justify oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behalf/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Centralized Societies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centralized-societies-5692980/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [Ideology Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology-religion-513486/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Institutionalized Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutionalized-religion-2500752/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Kinship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kinship/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-helps-1033402/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-interest/) [Shared Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shared-ideology-5692981/) [Solve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solve/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Transfers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transfers/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [The church doctrines of obedience to authority, repentance, fear of punishment, self-abnegation, acceptance of outer direction rather than inner assurance, elevation of faith over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/the-church-doctrines-of-obedience-to-authority-repentance-fear-of/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [ In his condemnation \[Karl\] Marx referred to institutionalized religion,that has precisely the function of anesthetizing men till they do not notice the in- justice… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/in-his-condemnation-karl-marx-referred-to-institutionalized-religion/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Religion helps you relate with the universe. Buddha was indifferent to the concept of god yet he gave us values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asghar-ali-engineer/religion-helps-you-relate-with-the-universe-buddha-was-indifferent-to/) [Asghar Ali Engineer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asghar-ali-engineer/) > [I think you can judge from somebody's actions a kind of a stability and sense of purpose perhaps created by strong religious roots. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-think-you-can-judge-from-somebody-s-actions-a-kind-of-a-stability/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The affection is mainly biological factor. Then further sort of strengthening, that religion helps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-affection-is-mainly-biological-factor-then-further-sort-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I don't want to justify religion in terms of its benefits to us. I believe that, on balance, it does a lot of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/i-don-t-want-to-justify-religion-in-terms-of-its-benefits-to-us-i/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [“In times of extremes, extremists win. Their ideology becomes a religion, anyone who doesn't puppet their views is seen as an apostate, a heretic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/in-times-of-extremes-extremists-win-their-ideology-becomes-a-religion/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Interest in religion is not necessarily interest in God. Religion in public life means a set of ideas, an ideology that has certain positions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/interest-in-religion-is-not-necessarily-interest-in-god-religion-in/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [Ideology and religion are contraindicated for fanatics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/ideology-and-religion-are-contraindicated-for-fanatics/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“Terrorism is not an ideology of any religion; it is a business policy of weapon-selling countries like America,israel and france.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/terrorism-is-not-an-ideology-of-any-religion-it-is-a-business-policy/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [Real democracy means that no group or faction or leader can impose their will, their ideology, their religion, their desires on anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/real-democracy-means-that-no-group-or-faction-or-leader-can-impose/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If there is no silence beyond and within the many words of doctrine, there is no religion, only a religious ideology. For religion goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-there-is-no-silence-beyond-and-within-the-many-words-of-doctrine/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“An act of terrorism is not an ideology, nor religion. It is the lack of hope, of opportunity and of love. When there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahima-martel/an-act-of-terrorism-is-not-an-ideology-nor-religion-it-is-the-lack-of/) [Mahima Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahima-martel/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Most beautiful is the sight of those near and dear to us when our original kinship makes us of one mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/most-beautiful-is-the-sight-of-those-near-and-dear-to-us-when-our/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) ## More by Jared Diamond > [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [What did the last Easter Islander say as he chopped down the last tree? The Easter Islanders didnt have anthropologists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/what-did-the-last-easter-islander-say-as-he-chopped-down-the-last/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“We come to conquer this land by his command, that all may come to a knowledge of God and of His Holy Catholic Faith;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/we-come-to-conquer-this-land-by-his-command-that-all-may-come-to-a/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“With the rise of chiefdoms around 7,500 years ago, people had to learn, for the first time in history, how to encounter strangers regularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/with-the-rise-of-chiefdoms-around-7-500-years-ago-people-had-to-learn/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Human societies vary in lots of independent factors affecting their openness to innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/human-societies-vary-in-lots-of-independent-factors-affecting-their/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [No government is here forever. And there are other forces - the most potent force in our society, in fact, big business - doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/no-government-is-here-forever-and-there-are-other-forces-the-most/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“Those parasites pass to a person from an eaten animal, but the virus causing laughing sickness (kuru) in the New Guinea highlands used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/those-parasites-pass-to-a-person-from-an-eaten-animal-but-the-virus/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“...invokes the supposed stimulatory effects of their homeland's cold climate and the inhibitory effects of hot, humid, tropical climates on human creativity and energy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/invokes-the-supposed-stimulatory-effects-of-their-homeland-s-cold/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“Throughout the Americas, diseases introduced with Europeans spread from tribe to tribe far in advance of the Europeans themselves, killing an estimated 95 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/throughout-the-americas-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-spread/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/history-followed-different-courses-for-different-peoples-because-of/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [We study the injustices of history for the same reason that we study genocide, and for the same reason that psychologists study the minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/we-study-the-injustices-of-history-for-the-same-reason-that-we-study/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [I decided that now is the time to start doing the things that really interest me and I find important. It was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/i-decided-that-now-is-the-time-to-start-doing-the-things-that-really/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“As a result of that confined distribution, peoples who pride themselves on being civilized have always viewed writing as the sharpest distinction raising them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/as-a-result-of-that-confined-distribution-peoples-who-pride/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Infectious diseases introduced with Europeans, like smallpox and measles, spread from one Indian tribe to another, far in advance of Europeans themselves, and killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/infectious-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-like-smallpox-and/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [In fact, everywhere in the world there has been a flux between big and small societies. Big political units are constantly being formed, later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-fact-everywhere-in-the-world-there-has-been-a-flux-between-big-and/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) [Explore all 161 Jared Diamond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## More Behalf quotes > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [Nonviolent tactics can move into action on our behalf men not naturally inclined to act for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-deming/nonviolent-tactics-can-move-into-action-on-our-behalf-men-not/) [Barbara Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-deming/) > [Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/adults-look-upon-a-child-as-something-empty-that-is-to-be-filled/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Having children, they're not your property. They need to figure out their own views. I think my daughters have a pretty healthy self-awareness, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/having-children-they-re-not-your-property-they-need-to-figure-out/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [I don't expect anybody here to cheerlead for Donald Trump. I expect us to have platforms like this, where we can fairly and effectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-don-t-expect-anybody-here-to-cheerlead-for-donald-trump-i-expect-us/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [Antitrust law isn't about protecting competing businesses from each other, it's about protecting competition itself on behalf of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/antitrust-law-isn-t-about-protecting-competing-businesses-from-each/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-have-some-of-the-most-influential-members-of-congress-here-today/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [When we surrender to His timing, He does mighty things in and for us, according to His will and His timing. God acts on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/when-we-surrender-to-his-timing-he-does-mighty-things-in-and-for-us/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [When you leave good people afraid to speak on behalf of justice, however awkwardly or insensitively, those unafraid to speak will rise to power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-morgan/when-you-leave-good-people-afraid-to-speak-on-behalf-of-justice/) [C.E. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-morgan/) > [ I couldn't ever act or think on behalf of what my father \[\[Albert Camus\]\] would have said or done. He's an artist, he considers… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-camus/i-couldn-t-ever-act-or-think-on-behalf-of-what-my-father-albert-camus/) [Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-camus/) > [Are you going to go down on your knees and beg for your life, old one?" Abbot Mortimer stared calmly into Cluny's savage eye.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-jacques/are-you-going-to-go-down-on-your-knees-and-beg-for-your-life-old-one/) [Brian Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-jacques/) > [If a fellow wants to be nobody in the business world, let him neglect sending the mailman to somebody on his behalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/if-a-fellow-wants-to-be-nobody-in-the-business-world-let-him-neglect/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [The real test of one's belief in the doctrine of Habeas Corpus is not when one demands its application on behalf of one's friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-attlee/the-real-test-of-one-s-belief-in-the-doctrine-of-habeas-corpus-is-not/) [Clement Attlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-attlee/) > [It is important that Miers not be confirmed unless, in her 61st year, she suddenly and unexpectedly is found to have hitherto undisclosed interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/it-is-important-that-miers-not-be-confirmed-unless-in-her-61st-year/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [I heard you're campaigning on my behalf." He walked over to me. "That wouldn't be because you'd miss me too much if I were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/i-heard-you-re-campaigning-on-my-behalf-he-walked-over-to-me-that/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) [Browse all 578 Behalf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behalf/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Besides justifying the transfer of wealth to kleptocrats, institutionalized religion brings two other important benefits to centralized societies. First, shared ideology or religion helps solve the problem of how unrelated individuals are to live together without killing each other—by providing them with a bond not based on kinship. 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