But if we don't have a story that started anywhere, we have a story that goes nowhere. That's why it's important, if we really are so-called modern people and want to go into the future, to know our roots. The real history of religion that is now coming to light, in almost every major tradition, includes many instances of conservative backlash and the fear of change, especially in times of crisis. Understanding that history helps us see that science, religion and economics can interrelate in a genuinely more benign way. If they don't, it will be destabilizing.
Reality contains the whole mix.