The books of God/Gods.

[gael]

How many is there, and how are they linked?

 

[CurtSibling]

They are linked by the same broad goal - to control and exploit the humble.

 

[carlosMM]

there are lots, especially if you do not take the term 'book' as meaning a lot of pulped trees bound into the skin of an animal.

they are linked by the fact that someone took normal human superstition and made concrete rules from it to exercise power over others in some way.

some smart people copied some things off older books - saved a lot of time. (e.g. bible --> quoran (english spelling?))

 

[Achinz]

Lots. List the religions and Google.

Regarding the links between them - DYO (do your own). Could be historical-cum-geographical eg

Hinduism -> Buddhism -> Hinayana/Mahayana schools -> Chinese Chan -> Japanese Zen -> Rinzai/Soto sects

 

[Xen]

Originally posted by CurtSibling
They are linked by the same broad goal - to control and exploit the humble.

hardley- one might make the case for a religion with a heirarchy, and organised along lines of control, but for religions where the only thing connecting two holy sites would be the bond of the religion, and they are otherwise indipendent, you accusation falls apart- simply, not all religions are even capable of doing what you accuse, and indeed, to that end it is really only the miority that can- on the other hand, oen finds that most religions have the opposite effect fo your accusation- they drive and inspire people to great feats, from that of the physical deed to that of the pscyological notion, to cultural practices, some even helped to inspire free thought itself, and thus put man on the track to democratic thinking.