Is the problem with "Religion" the religion itself or the psychopaths who USE the religion?

Question

for their own selfish purposes?

Note to anyone reading this (highly unlikely now, but anyway...) Bruce's comment about the "first answer" refers to an answer that has now been deleted.

Answer 1

"Religion" is much too easy to use for selfish purposes, and the world is full of psychopaths who do exactly that, unfortunately.

Answer 2

Looks like the first answer above may be from a psychopath. I'm not sure why anyone would otherwise use a question about religion as an excuse for crude sexual talk.

The word religion literally means "binding back" to God. Since we are separated from our Creator by sin, he clearly wants us to return to him, which is to say, to repent.

A difficulty is that there are many religious claims. Some religions imagine many gods (none of whom has the omnipotent love of the true God). Other religions say everything is god (in which case there is no need for repentance, but only for an "enlightenment" that amounts to deciding you don't care).

One major world religion imposes religious duties that include making war against nonbelievers. This duty is contrary to the freedom with which God endows humanity. It is this religion that has inspired millions of psychopathic followers who imagine they can please God by acts of violence.

The true religion as revealed by Jesus requires baptism (Mark 16:16; John 3:5), believing Christ and putting faith in him (e.g., Luke 7:50, 8:12), self-renunciation (e.g., Matt 5:3, 10), repentance (Matt 3:2; 4:17; 18:8-9; Mark 9:42-48), obedience to God in doing what is right and just (e.g., Luke 10:25-28; John 12:50), adopting the humility of a child (Matt 18:3-4; 19:14), eating the bread of life (John 6:51, 53-54), and endurance to the end (Matt 10:22).

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 3

I think the fact that religion teaches people to believe in something that there is some concepts in religion that can be used dangerously by psychopaths. This includes the concept of Armageddon. This has caused some Christians in America to push for war against Iran as they believe that this will make the Armageddon come closer.

Answer 4

believers want you to respect their beliefs and take offense when you don't.They don't want to return the respect ie if you don't believe your a bad person you have low morals,your children can't be around their children.That judging and you know what the lord said about that!