A Critique of Religion

[Captain Jack Harkness]

Okay, so what is religion?  Let me offer some thoughts.

Religion is a sham.  Religion is the last refuge of the arrogant sociopath who dares not have his views challenged.  Religion is the ultimate appeal to the authority, and the ultimate character assassination tool.  Religion is a cudgel.  Religion is a fountain of falsehood.

Religions make people feel good and bad regularly, but only to exploit them emotionally.  It exploits basic social structures and relies on the trust of its victims.  It brainwashes people and makes them loyal to the end, even when the stuff it says is absolute bullshit.  It hates opposition, and makes people think they're fighting for a noble cause when they're being the worst human beings possible.  It requires devotion at the expense of thought.  It plays on fear and a desire to have meaning.  It pretends like it has a monopoly on meaning and morality why making our lives worthless - and telling us we're worthless without it - and causing us to dole out injustice.  It's a giant mindfuck created by assholes to use the gullible.  It doesn't give a shit who it hurts, as long as the shitheads on top are making money off of the congregation.  It's so fucking self-righteous that it can and will never admit it's wrong.  On a regular basis it uses logical fallacies, including false dichotomies, ad homenim, and non sequiter - to name a few.  It also regularly likes to project and stare at itself in the mirror without the slightest realization that it's being both ironic and hypocritical.

Religion is truly evil, and I could write an entire fucking essay on why it's shit.  However, I think I'll stop here so that a discussion can crop up on this matter.

[Auri-El]

Religion can be all those things. Not gonna argue, a lot of evil is done in the name of religion, and it really sucks.

But.

For me, religion is a belief that what I do, who I am, this planet, our species, we're all a part of something big and amazing and perfect. God is something so vast and unfathomable that I cannot help but worship it. I admit readily that what I have is faith and that faith is not logical. I'm not going to push religion on anyone else, it's a personal matter. I am not evil, I am not worthless, and I am not brainwashed. Any religion that teaches that is evil. But not every religion teaches that.

[Captain Jack Harkness]

Religion is certainly a part of identity and who we are, but it's also a tool.  Just like social media, a computer, or anything else.  By the very nature of their structures, however, the worst religions are the ones with tools built in to be all of these things.  Also, maybe it's not the religion itself where the problem lies.  Blind zeal is where the problem is.  The thing about religion - or the worst ones - is that they actively support this kind of blind zeal.  Hell, the worst of the bunch THRIVE on it.

[Star Cluster]

As far as I see it, religion actually had humble beginnings.  It was simply a way for primitive peoples to cope with the world they found themselves in without any way to explain it.  Natural occurrences such as lightning, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, et. al., were terrifying to them and they probably couldn't comprehend that they were, in fact, natural happenings and attributed it to some unseen intelligent force, or god(s), that was angry with them for some reason.  Animal attacks were thought to be punishment as well instead of it just being an hungry animal looking for a meal. 

However, it wasn't long before, in order to appease these unseen gods, that they began to offer sacrifices, which ultimately included humans.  They eventually began coercing others into "believing" the way they did, ostracizing them if they didn't.

Religion didn't start out as evil. But, unfortunately, that is, for the most part, what it has become.  Kali demonstrates that not all adherents to religion are evil, as does Sandman and a few others around here.  I have several very good friends that are quite religious and they are very sincere in their beliefs.  But I view religion as an antiquated way of thinking and modern science has gone a long way in explaining the way things work without the need for gods.  Yet the religious leaders insist that the science is wrong in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary just to retain their control and power of that zealous congregation you speak of, B-Man. 

And that is the real evil in this.

[Mechtaur]

As far as I see it, religion actually had humble beginnings.  It was simply a way for primitive peoples to cope with the world they found themselves in without any way to explain it.  Natural occurrences such as lightning, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, et. al., were terrifying to them and they probably couldn't comprehend that they were, in fact, natural happenings and attributed it to some unseen intelligent force, or god(s), that was angry with them for some reason.  Animal attacks were thought to be punishment as well instead of it just being an hungry animal looking for a meal. 

However, it wasn't long before, in order to appease these unseen gods, that they began to offer sacrifices, which ultimately included humans.  They eventually began coercing others into "believing" the way they did, ostracizing them if they didn't.

Religion didn't start out as evil. But, unfortunately, that is, for the most part, what it has become.  Kali demonstrates that not all adherents to religion are evil, as does Sandman and a few others around here.  I have several very good friends that are quite religious and they are very sincere in their beliefs.  But I view religion as an antiquated way of thinking and modern science has gone a long way in explaining the way things work without the need for gods.  Yet the religious leaders insist that the science is wrong in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary just to retain their control and power of that zealous congregation you speak of, B-Man. 

And that is the real evil in this.

This.

Religion also brings out philosophy for some people and can even be a combination of the two. More or less, as I read your "critique", I noted that you seemed to be more upset at how priests have abused the religious institutions or how some have injected a certain philosophy of control to gain domination over groups of people. Mind you, this is something I can understand being upset over, it angers me greatly when someone uses even small things like "all good Catholics/Christians/Buddhists/Shintoists/etc. do [this]". However, this isn't the fault of religion in its entirety, just relatively small groups who seek to assert their will on everyone using religion as a vehicle. As stated, religion is a tool and can be used for good or evil.

[Witchyjoshy]

Be careful with broad brushes...

[Captain Jack Harkness]

Be careful with broad brushes...

Religion is certainly a part of identity and who we are, but it's also a tool.  Just like social media, a computer, or anything else.  By the very nature of their structures, however, the worst religions are the ones with tools built in to be all of these things.  Also, maybe it's not the religion itself where the problem lies.  Blind zeal is where the problem is.  The thing about religion - or the worst ones - is that they actively support this kind of blind zeal.  Hell, the worst of the bunch THRIVE on it.

Not only that, but the most dishonest among us take advantage of the adherence to dogma that the most desperate of us adhere to as humans.

In other words, fundies are manipulative douchewads.  It just so happens that the fundamentalism most often takes the form of religion, because religion tends to discourage calling people on their bullshit in favor of reverence derived from "authority."  Don't have enough credibility to have people listen to your bullshit?  Just slap god in there and claim to speak for the divine!  Oh, and actively threaten dissent.  You have to actively threaten dissent.

[Witchyjoshy]

True...

My only issue with such strict criticism of religion is that, in a sense, it is almost not encompassing enough.

Politics, for example.  Even without religion, you can inflame good people to commit evil deeds by playing on their nationalism, their duty to their family, to their people, to their country, whatever.  There's so many ways to play on a human being, with religion being the easier of them.

For king and country, after all.  For the American way.  For Mother Russia.  For <Insert Figurehead Here>.

We humans are just easily manipulated towards evil as a group.

[Yla]

Religion is a way to give meaning to existence, to cope with the uncariness of the universe.

[Askold]

Objectivism is a doctrine that can be used to promote horrible things. North Korea has a cult of person focused on their leader and most of B-man's criticisms fits it. (I suppose it could be considered a religion, they certainly claim that all of the Dear Leaders have manifested supernatural powers.) And any group/cult/organisation/country that can have a strict doctrine that has been designed to "enslave" the subjects/citizens.

In fact:

It exploits basic social structures and relies on the trust of its victims.  It brainwashes people and makes them loyal to the end, even when the stuff it says is absolute bullshit.  It hates opposition, and makes people think they're fighting for a noble cause when they're being the worst human beings possible.  It requires devotion at the expense of thought.  It plays on fear and a desire to have meaning.  It pretends like it has a monopoly on meaning and morality why making our lives worthless - and telling us we're worthless without it - and causing us to dole out injustice.

This could also apply to many of the dictatorial regimes. CCCP during Stalin's era seems to be a perfect match. (Certainly Soviet union made a big deal about working for the system/collective at the cost of individuality.) Certainly the leaders of many religions and cults have tried to control the believers and increase their influence to mundame matters but as was said before this has often been a perversion of the "original" teachings and doctrines.

Likewise there are many religions (or many reincarnations/versions of religions, since religions evolve and change just as mankind does) that are peaceful and nonintrusive. In fact at times religions have encouraged people to question themselves and the world and to change things for better.



(Although I do have to admit that since I am a religious person it is true that I have a bias so I really can't claim that I give an objective statement on this matter.)

[Witchyjoshy]

In short, I'm not trying to say you're wrong, B-Man.  Just that it's a complicated thing that is hard to clearly define.

[DharmicDalek]

As a Hindu, let me tell you of the value of spirituality.

It is a tool of self-improvement. There should be no priest, or church, between you and God (or Truth). It is a tool of seeing the flaws in yourself and fixing them. The final goal is to help improve others as you yourself improve. And that is a path that is show between you and God *or Truth), with perhaps advice from a teacher.


Religion, without the above, is just another tool for enslaving your fellow man.

[Smurfette Principle]

I'd also like to point out that belief can be a good thing because it gives you hope. My mom likes to cite the anti-slavery movement as an example of good religion, because not only did Quakers and other deeply religious people give slaves refuge on their way along the Underground Railroad, but slaves who had an existentialist apathy would not have any incentive to run away. Rather, it was their religious faith (seeing parallels to their situation in the story of Moses, for example) that motivated them to seek their freedom.

[Cerim Treascair]

I've only found peace with my current belief system after being driven away from Christianity, so take from that what you will.

[rageaholic]

I share the same sentiments of others.  I'm not religions, I realize the great evil that can be commited in the name of religion, but I don't think it's all evil.  For me, the evil comes from,

-Intolrance of different views, making people afraid fo think critically.
-Doctrines of original sin, making people ashamed of who they are.
-The idea of thought crime to excercise big brother control over people. 
-Traumatizing children (and adults) with horrific teachings such as eternal damnation and the rapture. 
-Backwards "traditional" morality, partically in the middle east and the way they treat women. 
-Being afraid of any scientific or moral progress.
-Cult leaders manipulating their members for money. 
-All the needless wars waged in the name of God. 

Despite the bad, I've actually seen some good fruits.  It's just that for person comforted by the thought of their mother in heaven, there's another who's going crazy believing their mother is burning in hell for not accepting Jesus.