Not symbols of religous power, they are symbols of buying power, profit and revenue streams. Idols of identity. Symbols representing the values and traditions of a consumeristic society. Inscribed with the knowledge and the survivial skills of past generations. Rosetta stones that silently teaches a way of living, storing accumulated beliefs for future generations.
Humans are story tellers.
By the flickering light of campfires and candles people have told stories of history, stories of success, stories of battles, survival, and death. This is the thread that binds generations and furthers the knowledge of cultures. These are fictions, yet they are as real as the air we breathe. Societies live and die by beliefs. A different way of seeing, of thinking, of believing can create a whole new tradition and culture.