Anti Religion? – Page 2

...Continued from page 1 of Anti Religion?: Is This Our Current Default Religion?

3. We Should Get Rid Of Religion

This aint going to happen, so best to get used to it.

This sounds flippant, but I mean it. I find it rather sad that intelligent people who are anti religion waste enormous amounts of energy on arguing as though religion should be stopped.

• Many people find in religion a place where they belong and serve their community.
• People who affiliate with religion are statistically shown to be healthier and live longer.
• Church services play a huge role in marking significant life events - births, marriages and deaths. Many people - on both an individual and national level - find huge comfort in this.
• The church in the UK, and many other countries, takes care of the maintenance of buildings of astoundingly rich historical interest.
• The Christian churches feed and educate huge swathes of the developing countries. I heard an estimate that 50% are catered for by the Catholic Church alone. Who else do you propose to take on that work?

I put forward these points in favour of religion because they are easy to relate to for those who are not on a spiritual path.

None of these points touch on the main intent and success of the religious organisations: they provide a place where we can meet affordably and reliably in praise and worship of our God, to allow Him/Her/It to work in us and in the lives of those around us.

As a student of A Course In Miracles - a spiritual path, but not a religion, I may or may not find a local group to join with.

As a Christian, I can travel almost anywhere in the world and join with the local community in prayer.

As a Christian, I am part of a world wide network of people who read the same stories and take them in on a deeper level as they go through life.

I have always found it wonderful to belong to a group that crosses all national boundaries. When I was ill, most of my carers were immigrant to the UK, and yet, since many were Christians, we could share our knowledge of the Bible stories that inspire us.

4. The Religious Are Abusive And Corrupt

Some are abusive. Some are corrupt.

Do you know that anyone can join the main religions? At least they ought to be able to.
Anyone.

A religion is ultimately a human organisation complete with all the weaknesses that humans have.

If you are anti religion, please consider that many secular people are abusive and corrupt.

If you are secular and abusive, does that mean you are abusive because you are secular.

And if you are secular and not abusive, should you stop being secular, so as not to associate with such a belief system any more?

Such logic is absurd. If everyone keeps leaving an organisation when someone in it behaves badly those who behave badly will be left running the show. Surely this is not what we want.

“The religious” is really a term with little meaning given the wide range of beliefs held by different groups and even within a single congregation.

Many churches remain places where you feel free to smile at anyone and do not fear your valuables being taken.

I have not been to a single religious building that felt like a hotbed of abuse and corruption!

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