The church to end all churches

[max-greece]

Actually, I have a problem with all organized religions. I talked about christianity just because it is the example I know best and because that's what you were talking about.
If you say "the fruit of organized christianity is evident all over the world" of course people are going to reply with something about christianity.

I am ok with every kind of religion as long as it does not harm anyone (as I wrote before, the most important Italian anti-mafia association is led by a Catholic priest who is a great person), but inevitably every organized religion will know corruption and dishonesty, since organized religion implies power and authority which in turn imply a competition for their control.

Name an institution with power and authority that does all good without corruption or misdeeds, for example civil governments, schools, hospitals, etc. Would the world be better off without them?

Now that's what I call aiming low.

Basically what you are saying is that the Church is no worse than any other institution. In other words the benefit of being God's institution is zero.

And that is your target state!

Of course - in that the actual function of the Catholic church (for example) appear to be to act as a safe haven for paedophiles where it will not only not judge them but it will actively hide, protect and move them from one place to another (ensuring a steady supply of unsuspecting child victims) I think I can understand setting your targets this low.

[Lek]

So is religion, which has probably been around just as long.

You've basically just said that religion is founded on rational premises

My comment was directed more to "functional to society's existence and well-being", but ok.

[Lucanus]

You've basically just said that religion is founded on rational premises

My comment was directed more to "functional to society's existence and well-being", but ok.

In that case, religion is unnecessary or even damaging to social structures. Irrational beliefs hold people back and, in the long run, they tend to slow down progress.

Also, if you have two or more religions, both of which count a good number of the population, stay sure that religious tensions will arise because of the fundamentalists on each side.

Besides, secular societies are often richer and generally offer a better standard of living than more religious ones. You don't need a religion for your society's well being!

For what I can see, religion is something we have invented to make sense of the world and to make sense of death. And it's fucking poor at that since it's so clear that it is all made up.