All religions have two parts, (1) spirituality, and (2) ethics.
The basic purpose of the ethical codes (that, in details, may vary from community to community and from time to time) is to provide thumb rules for the individuals that guide them in leading their own personal as well as interpersonal (at the family as well as community) levels so that the society is stable and growing with likable traits. This is what 'dharma' means - the network of duties that holds a society together and therefore protects it from falling apart. Note that the ethics is a complex of thumb rules. If the individuals follow them, they save a lot of energy and time to determine as to their conduct in different settings. Moreover, the individuals’ conducts are reliably predictable. That saves the society (and the individuals) a lot of time labour and energy. That keeps the society going on. Hence, ethics is a part of all religions. It has instrumental value. Also note that 'dharmo rakshati rakshitah (धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः). It everyone observes his/her duties, then only the duties remain self reinforced and the society is upheld.
However, societies are dynamic. Material conditions change. Population has been increasing. Resources and technologies have been changing. Cultures are changing. These changing things require changes in the ethical codes to uphold and efficiently run the societies. So, over time, ethics also changes, sometimes coolly and silently and at others violently. It takes some time to fit the ethical codes to suit the need of the time. But they ultimately stabilize. This dynamical adjustment is always on.
Now let us turn to spirituality. Note that of the two (reasoning and faith) faith is cheaper – to grow, maintain and spread. It is based on feelings, instincts, etc. A child, or a baby, feels warm and safe in the laps of its mother. This feeling is more basic than reasoning. Reasoning comes later, feelings come first. That is why feelings are easier to grow, maintain and spread. It affects the subconscious and springs out from the subconscious. Spirituality is there in feeling and subconscious where reasoning cannot go. It is futile to seek for rationality and reasoning in spirituality. This innate aspect of spirituality is used as a core – foundation – to establish ethics. Ethics, therefore, is often founded in spirituality.
These together make religion. Different communities have different views of spirituality and also different views of ethics.
Unfortunately, this conjoint of spirituality and ethics has often become the tool for acquiring power – dominance of the one over the others. That breeds communal egotism and finally war, disaster and so on. The desire to acquiring power sometimes uses the one type of tools and at others a different kind of tools. No religion is free from the people who have (and are) using religion to acquiring power.
Look at the ten commandments in the Bible (Old Testament). None can be denied even by a Hindu or Muslim or Jew. Was it not enough? But, no. The stories from Moses to Joshua to Kings to Job were needed. Then Christ, who wanted to change some of the fossilized conventions of the Jew. Was crucifixion a part of religion in its purest sense?
The conflict between God and Satan is the conflict between smooth running of the society and the lust for power. And Satan so much vilified. If you think appropriate, read the Book of Enoch (it is free downloadable). All that you call technology – from houses to machines to cosmetics – were invented by Satan/Lucifer and his friend angels. We – and more so the religious ones among us – all hate the Satan and love his (and his friends’) inventions. Let us not use reasons. It is a matter of faith. Consistency is a characteristics of reason and not of faith.
Hinduism is no exception. Why so many sects? Why so many gods? Why so many stories? Perhaps Marx was right when he considered religion like opium. But his comment is applicable to that part or application of religion which is used to acquire power. And no wonder, soon Marxism was turned to a religious sect.
It is fair to keep religion limited to ethics for smooth running of the society. If that purpose is lost, if religion starts destabilizing the society, interpersonal relations, family, etc., keep it at bay.
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