Organized Religion

As we ring in the new year, 2011 may just be the time to start setting a few things straight. Let me start with something that Vatican, every Imam and other figures of religious importance will vehemently disagree with: Organized Religion is the root of many evils. Organized religion is overrated. Organized religion is …evil.

The “cool aid” drinking, main stream thinking, critically challenged individual will argue that anything that promotes faith in a higher god, cannot be evil, cause disturbance and promote misery. It’s all under one god and god protects its flock. Time to wake up, o’dear sheep.

While there’s certain relevancy in believing in a higher power, in a creator above all, it’s utter bullshit at the same time. “Blasphemy!” you scream? Sure, in your eyes – but let me explain.

As a formal disclaimer, I’m not just shooting at Islam, I’m equally targeting Christianity and any other form of organized religion. Don’t feel special, just because your denomination has been named in this post.

Hundreds of years ago, starting in the 12th century, Christianity promoted an idea to flush out the evil. Troops, sanctioned by religious leaders went through the lands on their “Holy Inquisition” tour, burning people at the stake. Simple accusations of witchcraft were sufficient to place the burden of proof upon the accused to dispel, pun intended, the accusations and proof that they cannot perform anything “magic”. What should be simple enough, was oftentimes overruled by doubt, red hair, some “heckler” screaming “Witch” and off you went. Heat treatment at the stake, for the entertainment of the audience and a hearty demonstration that the Church rules the lands and no one is to oppose the declared god.

4 time frames are assigned to the evolution of inquisition:

1. the Medieval Inquisition (1184–1230s)
2. the Spanish Inquisition (1478–1834)
3. the Portuguese Inquisition (1536–1821)
4. the Roman Inquisition (1542 – c. 1860 )

The demonstration that the power of the church, an organized religion, reigning death upon the nonconformist lasted for centuries.

Also under the sanction of the christian church, starting in early 1000 BC, crusaders brought war, death and bloodshed to countries around Europe and parts if Asia. Millions of lives lost or converted to a different religion, while being taxed.

Fast forward to the arrival of European Conquistadors in the continental USA – we all know the outcome of that.

On a scale from 1-10 (10 being best), as an organized religion, Christianity fails. Completely. Utterly. It’s bloodshed while carrying the holy cross, and hiding behind a cloak of believing in a higher power.

At the same time, a religion of peace, taught by the Qur’an, regarded as verbal divine guidance and moral direction for mankind, is equally used as a cloak to lash out in violence towards other religions. The common denominator between all reglions – there can only be one (thanks Highlander), is abused and used to cause bloodshed around the world. While Christianity has awoken and realized that crusades and inquisitions wouldn’t be an acceptable mainstream solution in the 21st century, some antiquated, fanatic knuckleheads, following the teachings of  some deranged and delusional religious leaders, offer up their physical existence to cause as much harm as possible to believers of a different god.

I’m not even going down the road of 9/11, as I believe that we all don’t know the half of what’s been going down and that the American Government is feeding us false information as to who was truly involved.

What I’m sniping are the numerous attempts and oftentimes successfully carried out missions in front of embassies, public places of importance and other, non Islamic churches.  The recent bombing in Stockholm and the countless dead christian worshipers in Cairo, Egypt.

Islam, as a religion of peace, has caused equal harm as Christianity did back in the days of the dark ages. The main difference of today – I don’t see a Christian running around with a bomb strapped to their beer gut, blowing himself up in the name of the Lord, hoping to find 72 virgins on the other side of the tunnel. I don’t see any woman or men dug into a pile of rubble, stoned to death, based purely on allegations that were never proven in a court of law. I don’t see a Christian screaming from a tower, singing a hymn, exposing everyone, believer or non believer, to a religion that not everyone may be in favor of.

While many things can be argued about religion – there’s one thing that all religions claim to be about; peace. Yet, no other organized institution has managed to fail its core principals as often and continuous as organized religion has through the centuries of its fabled creation.

Is the Qur’an real? Is Mohammed really the man? Is the Bible real? Is Jesus really the man? Is any religion that finds itself written in a book, delivered by word of mouth for centuries, until someone finally figured out how to print the thing into book form? Remember the game you played as a child? Whispering in your neighbors ear – your initial message gets whispered further on down the line – remember what you got out of the 10th kid that heard your initial message? It wasn’t even close to what it once was. Now extrapolate this situation by hundreds of years and add the flavor of human conditioning to it – everyone adds a little tidbit of “sensational” to make the story sounds more exciting, gripping and wonderful? You might just end up with someone who healed the terminally ill, made wine out of water, parted oceans, etc. Anything super natural that has happened 2000+ years ago, that was unfathomable then, would be unfathomable now. Except, it doesn’t happen nowadays. Why is that? Because mankind has become more inquisitive? Looking for scientific solutions to matters of faith? Where are the “magicians of today”?

In short, the cloak of organized religion to cause bloodshed, cost lives and bring death and destruction upon the ones that believe in someone else, is utter BS. It’s one of mankinds best excuses to go to war, repeatedly; and “get away with it” – because it all happens in the name of someone else who’s a guiding light, hand, incomprehensible being.

Unfortunately, religion is deeply anchored within the roots of mankind. There is no “doing away” with it. As individuals, most are too weak to act self guided and need higher spiritual power to feel accommodated and strong enough to make it through their day.

Am I denying that there is a god, mohammed or another unproven leader? Not at all – but if that’s the case; stand up and show yourself with a clear, concise and actual act that undeniably proves your existence. A tree, flower, sun, universe, etc. is not sufficient proof, unless you show up and start creating in front of our witnessing eyes.

Much like we tell each other:  Shut up, or put up! Half hearted stories in a book, delivered through the ages, isn’t cutting it. Specially not when we continue to use them as excuses to kill each other.

Peace -

Sniper

Tags: bible organized religion qur'an religion