organized religion

I'm ok with religion...but it tends to go overboard and can be very contradictory. Is Satan real? Two boys walk home from Sunday school after hearing a powerful and terrifying sermon on the devil. One boy says, “I'm really really scared about all this Satan stuff they talked about at Sunday school.” The other boy replies “Don't worry. You remember how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your dad dressed up in a red suit again.”

... has killed and/or enslaved more people than any other social entity.

Experience your own beliefs for yourself.

Look at Muslimism (Islam) , Buddhism, Catholicism, Jehovahs false witnesses, Mormonism, new age, all the "christian" churches that don't preach the real Jesus, yeah... people need a relationship with Jesus Christ...He said I am the way, the truth, and the light, no one comes to the Father, but by me.. not a religion

I think it can be great, especially when it advances community service.

Leads to mass murder, political corruption, taking sharp stones and objects to the genitals of children, unhealthy sexual repression, and a shameful history of blaming or blocking science. For starters. That people take it as some kind of morality is laughable the higher one goes on the level of intelligence and knowledge of any kind of history.

Sometimes spread hate and distrust but sometimes athiests do too. Some people need the comfort of their beliefs, good for them but not for me.

Overall its a good but what people have done with it has not.

The only way in my view that any organized religion could be harmful to society is if you get some nut case who carries their ideas to extreme measures, and more often than not they are found in cults that have very strange concepts on things. I am a Christian who happens to believe in God and Jesus, but I will never try to shove my religion down someone's throat, but if I can say something that might be of help to someone else and they want to listen, I will definitely share.

I think they get a lot more done than disorganized religion.

Both great and horrible things are done in the name of God, it seems. Charity and decency is stressed by some while bigotry and intolerance is the order of the day for others, regardless of creed. I honestly haven't had much use for organized religion lately, which is interesting when you consider that I had to leave the church and walk on my own a bit to get closer to God. Perhaps there will be a time for me to go back to church, who knows?

Well as with almost anything you have to take the good with the bad. Organized Religion has helped build empires and yet aided in there destruction. It's helped resolve conflicts, and has started them. It's helped lead the way in progressive thinking, however today it's extremists are the most conservative. Rating this depends on what country your looking at, what time frame and what religion, overall it probably balances out.

again, each to their own............. but when it comes to cults, and other stupid forums such as that........ then it needs to be outlawed

I can't afford them...

I personally don't participate in organized religion, although, I do believe in God, and Jesus. So I do consider myself a Christian, I just don't feel like I need to read the bible or go to church for God to hear me. I strongly believe in heaven and/or an afterlife.

HMMMM.....

well, of course it is considered "hurtful" to making society a "togetherness" taht is not doubted--but not because there are different organized religions, but because others do not accept that there are different religions, other then their own. It's not the religions themselves, but the lack of accpetance...Those people who accept others beliefs usually are more harmonized with the differences between them and their own...I have my "giggles" on how some people can think ceratin things in different beliefs, but over all, I don't judge people on them and I leave that to each their own...as a personal choice, which is how it should be. The hate is what hurts society. Duh!

depends on the organization

I Believe the belief in punishment by a 'higher power' helps maintain moral justifications of actions. I believe it hurts because people do not learn to accept that people have different belief systems, and respect them for it.

to each his own

Hurtful, definitely, do we need to go over the history?

Regardless of the religion, there will always be wackos who take it way too far, and irritating people who push us all to believe as they do.

people like to feel a part of something which can strengthen faith, but it also puts constraints on people that very often leads to gross ignorance.

I think this is up to the individual...however...morally it helps society...and much good is done through organized religion.

I used to always say that organized religion ruined Christianity. Some churches have way too much money and power.

There are to many hypocritical people in all religions. I do not agree with all that is said and ment in a church. I think a person is judged by his/her actions.

An attack on religion anymore to me appears always to be an attack on a religion's extremists and never on its core teaching.

When God was allowed in schools there were less problems and better kids who became better adults. Now it's gone and the world isgetting worse as people reject even the thought that Jesus exsists

Community brainwashing, but you get to network.

It seems cult like to me some times. I believe in god and with that I refuse to worship a pastor or whatever as though he or she is god. If I have questions god himself will give me the answer. And as far as church goes who really knows the right answer. We can only do what we feel is right.

It's a power trip.

it is the best and worst thing. what is good- God is real. period. what is bad- religions that practice "earning one's way into heaven" by rituals or deeds. it's not that society hates that christians sin just like everyone, IT'S THAT WE ACT LIKE WE DON'T. we disgrace God and interfere with his plan to help society when we stand in all our religious hautiness and forget that we are here to help and serve non - christians

Just a personal preference here, I don't believe in organized religion. It says in the bibile that when two or more people are gathered in his name, there he is. Why do we need churches and more rules than the bible already applies? Groups of friends and family gathered in someone's backyard is all the church that god requires. For those that believe in all that.

Religion is a belief and should not be judged

a reason to believe

U TALKIN , CULT??? WHAT U TALKIN BOUT, ORGANIZED RELIGION?

Organized religion was meant to be the tool, not the layout, of the personal relationship between man and God, and is beneficial to society as a whole or to the person as an individual if it makes that it's only goal. I think there are too many moral crusaders out there who do more harm than good, when they try to interpret the will of God, based on their own biases and opinions.

I see good points in all of the comments below,but I'd like to point out that most of our ancient Pagan ancestors also had "organized" religions.Whom do you think opposed both Akhnaten (in Egypt) and Mohammed when they promulgated Monotheism? Polytheism does not necessarily imply any lack of organization,either. I tend to agree with IJR,in that all religions ultimately have a message of Peace,yet most wars have been fought because two or more "organized" cults dislike or hate each others spiritual ways.(Often,this is just an excuse foisted on the faithful masses by the Leaders of a Nation to get them to make war on some other culture and then bring back the spoils and/or take over their territory).I do not agree that organized religion has always been a "leading light" of humanity.Much barbarism and ignorance has been practiced in the name of "God" - take the Crusades,or Jihads or throwing Christians to Lions as a few examples.Castlebee hit it on the head: Organized religion involves h... Read more

I am somewhat amazed, but I guess at my age I shouldn't be, at the attitude of many people about organized religion. Without organization, structure and doctrine, religion dies out, and society suffers. Organized religion has built our world and without organized religion, we'd be a bunch of grunting barbarians. The ethical framework of organized religion has defined our moral codes, education, government, charitable institutions and even most laws. Modern governments are attempting to take over those tasks but for the past three millennia of recorded history, organized religion performed those functions. The jury is still out as to whether the modern secular society is successfully performing those duties.

Generally meant to be a good thing but, obviously it can go either way. What it boils down to for me is that anything that involves human beings will always have the propensity to go sailing down the tubes. But, looked at from another angle, the spiritual failures of (we) imperfect humans can really serve to emphasize our need for the love and care of a perfect Lord. As long as I put my trust in the concept that my faith is a matter of spirit rather than a set of dogmatic rules then I think I can deal with the problems generated by the masses whether they are religiously inclined or unadulterated pagan.