Joseph, how did they get these “competing rules” in the first place? By making them up as they went along. So, in accordance with human psychology, they make up lots of different rules for different occasions that “feel different”. Both sides (or all sides) of any religious battle do this, and it doesn’t matter who wins, they still won’t come up with a unified answer.
Shouldn’t that lead to at least some (if very poor) “testing” of rules over time? Some (such as taboos which strengthen social cohesion or which inadvertently help avoid dangerous behavior) would help the ground adapt, whilst others (which do neither) would be unlikely to continue.
Joseph, how did they get these “competing rules” in the first place? By making them up as they went along. So, in accordance with human psychology, they make up lots of different rules for different occasions that “feel different”. Both sides (or all sides) of any religious battle do this, and it doesn’t matter who wins, they still won’t come up with a unified answer.
Shouldn’t that lead to at least some (if very poor) “testing” of rules over time? Some (such as taboos which strengthen social cohesion or which inadvertently help avoid dangerous behavior) would help the ground adapt, whilst others (which do neither) would be unlikely to continue.