Religion Part3

People who take jobs in religious establishments are by definition power seekers.  They frequently find themselves in conflict with their flocks.  This is one, if not the main, reason there are so many sects in each and every religion.  Power and domination are the ego satisfiers of church leaders; adulation is their wealth; though most are monetarily wealthy as well.  Through the ages secular political development has followed two paths.  The struggle for freedom has been rebellion against high or noble birth, and its accompanying wealth and privilege; and rebellion against spiritual domination by those who hold wealth and privilege and wear the uniform of the priesthood.

In today’s world many of the world’s great religions are reduced to shadows and even caricatures of themselves; perhaps parody would be descriptive.  In days of old though, they were the repositories of untold wealth and authority.  Kings quaked before the religious leaders.  Constantine co-opted Christianity and became the de facto Pope ruling on religious matters from a political perspective.  The faithful were disdained from a safe distance.  Today this behavior is observable in Muslim cultures where the Imams dictate the living of every day life and these dictates are ignored at one’s peril.

I am not picking on Islam, they are simply the only ones still in the game.  Christianity has been relegated to the sidelines for nearly two hundred years.  In its prime Christianity gave us the Inquisition, the slaughter of several brands of “heretic,” even during the Crusades Christians in the Holy Land were murdered by their fellows for their wealth.  Education has been the downfall of Religion.  They behavior of the priests has always been reprehensible but without knowledge to combat their authority the populace simply accepted their situation in hope of heaven.  What a disappointment that must have been.

Violence rather than peace has been the hallmark of religion even today that tradition is carried on.  Fire and brimstone awaits anyone who fails to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  Death to Infidels is the cry throughout the Middle East.  Death to Queers is heard in the United States.  White Christians must kill black ones, and Jews can be added to the list.  The roll call is endless Hindu against Muslim, Muslims against all.  Even the strictly orthodox Jews are violent against non-believers. Let’s not forget that in religion it is primarily a man’s world when it comes to making the rules and enforcing them.

What then is the alternative?  Spirituality is overrated in my opinion.  This is especially true when people feel they have to let you know what driving them and want you to come along.