Good God

[Paul the Human]

Let's not forget that a lot of the "good" that religion does (charity) is little more than advertising for new members. A lot of them extort money from their members for charity to advance the interests of the church itself.

That supports what I was saying. The individuals that are "in the trenches" of these charities are genuinely charitable (generally speaking), but the 'Church' that operates the charity is not as charitable as they are trying to appear. They have ulterior motives.

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Thanks Paul. I guess what I'm asking is; Have you ever seen something done in the name of (or as a result of) religion that has made you think, even if just for a second, "Hmmmm, perhaps we should keep religion around after all?"

No. Any and all charitable and/or "good" acts can be (and are) done without religion. Religion is simply an effective tool to use as a banner for charity minded people to rally around. If it weren't religion, it would be simple compassion. Charity would survive the collapse of organized religion.