Updated:
Religion is an Observer Effect
There are many religions and corresponding religious observers that effectively replicate and approximate sections of religious texts into a pre-defined narrative that is less an expression of the religion and more of an expression of the identity of the observer itself as the limits of the text is the limit of the observer observation of the text.
This structure is algorithmic in nature via recursive mechanics thus derivative of a cycle or strange loop.
There is a religion: R
This religion contains a multitude of texts: R(T)
These texts contain various other texts: R(T(Tx))
Given the multiplicity of these texts the observer picks a selects few to form a coherent viewpoint:
O → T(Tx → Tx1)
This observer filters the text in accords to their identity thus resulting in the percieved textual fragments as expressions of the observer’s identity:
O(Ox) → T(Tx → Tx1 → Tx1.1)
What remains of religion is an observer effect:
O(Ox) → T(Tx → Tx1 → Tx1.1)
So what is asserted about the religion is merely an assertion of the observer itself:
O(Ox) → T(Tx → Tx1 → Tx1.1) →
(O(Ox) → R(T(Tx → Tx1 → Tx1.1)))
And effectively a loop occurs:
O(Ox) → R(T(Tx → Tx1 → Tx1.1)) → (O(x) → R)
and the observer effectively creates itself as the loop ends back up on the observer:
(O(Ox) → (O(Ox))
Where religion is less of fixed thing but rather an expression of the observer and effectively changes via interpenetration with the observer:
(O(Ox) → (O(Ox)) → R(T(Tx)) → O(Ox.1) →
Rx(Tx(Tx.1)) → O(Ox.2) → …
This structural cycle applies not just to religion, but political systems, philosophies, etc. …but the emphasis in this context is religion.