i'm starting to have a serious problem with organised religion. am i alone out there?

Question

it seems to me that the root of most problems in the world stems from religion (nearly all religion).i'm from the northern ireland and was brought up in a church going family(protestant). now we fought for years over here basically neighbour against neighbour under the guise of loyalist against nationalist but it was really protestant against catholic. we fight all over the world because our neighbours are a different religion from ourselves. this is all religions so i'm not singling anyone out.i've lost all faith to be honest in any kind of supernatural god as if we're honest i now beleve it was just a device to try and control people.
also having read quite a bit of the bible (i am using the bible for example as its what i was brought up with but i'm almost sure most holy books are the same)and if it is the word of god then there are some quite sexist and spiteful things in it.
whats happened to me?

thanx for the response mostly good answers. too many to pick a winner so i'll open it to a vote

Answer 1

Nope.

Answer 2

You're probably still quite young - maybe knocking on middle age - and you've reached a crossroads. This is going to make or break you and there is a real danger of making the wrong choice. Hang onto God by the 'coat tails'.

On the plus side, you're doing some real serious thinking - always dangerous, but necessary. Now, don't get 'into a paddy' about things .. (excuse the pun, couldn't help it!).

Your question has a lot of elements in it and I don't agree with everything you say, but I started to answer this because what you said about organised religion rang my 'ding dong', so let's start there.

I am a Bible-believing Protestant Christian and have observed Northern Ireland and how they practise Christianity over the years. Things do seem to be very 'heavy', tense and polarised there - that's my impression. However, there are also some very godly people there, too.

I believe that you can make a religion out of any faith-system - Christian or otherwise (well, the others ARE religions, but you understand..). When men are controlling and manipulating the saints, building their own little empires and 'my ministry', that's when faith is becoming religion; when the church is working as an organisation and not an organism, that's religion, not faith; when there is a pyramidal 'top down' structure, instead of 'grass roots up', that's religion, not faith, when you have the division of 'clergy' and 'laity' thats religion and not faith. In fact, insofar as the expression, doctrine and practice of 'church' deviates from the biblical model of the Early Church and moves towards man-made ideas and ways of doing things, I reckon that you've got religion and not faith.

I left 'organised religion' four years ago, because I reckoned that most churches nowadays were 'tarred with much the same feather' (excuse the pun - can't help it!) and we've been meeting at home ever since and it's been difficult - but great, great to be free at last.

Now, you might not be ready for this, and if you arent, then find a good church somewhere that doesn't have to fight everyone else as an expression of its faith, somewhere, as you say, that doesn't control people. This is difficult, I know (that's why I left) because this stuff is seeping into lots of churches now.

You need to look honestly into Christianity and sort out the wheat from the chaff in working out your faith. I believe that the Bible is the Word of God, but the way people apply it often isn't according to the Spirit of God, and that dishonours God. But you don't have to throw out the baby with the bathwater, just because a lot of bad spirits have got into the churches and are trying to destroy the true message. The true message is still there, because God still upholds it - and you need it now.

You say you were brought up with the Bible. Well, you need to stop feeding off what you were brought up, just because you've been raised that way with and find out a few more things for yourself. Okay, get critical - it's good! Ask whether the Bible is any better than the other holy books. You're going to have to hammer this out and forge your own faith from now on. As I said, let go of your parents' coat-tails (well-meaning as no doubt they are) and take a-hold of God's. You need first-hand now, not second-hand. And if you think there are some 'quite sexist and spiteful things' in the Bible (who told you that?), then check out what they are and try asking a few questions - like why and in what context?

I wish you every blessing in your genuine searchings for what is true and pray that God will be faithful to establish your life upon the only immovable rock, which is Christ Jesus.

Answer 3

I have absolutely no religion at all.
And for a while i did think religion seemed to be the cause of all sorts of trouble.

But i'm not sure that thats actually true.
I think Money, land and control are really what war is about, and religion is just an easy ideal to pin it on.

Religion is a good tool, potentially, to teach children right and wrong, its an easy way of telling someone something is wrong without really having to explain WHY.

But like father xmas, i think its a bit strange if you still believe it in later life.

I also don't really see how holy books can be the word of god, as god doesn't exist.
Holy books are at best the works of conmen, and at worst the ramblings of a loon.
They were written in pretty backwards times, when nobody could really explain anything or had very little understanding or tolerence for anyone or anything outside of their little bubble.

The whole thing really is a bit odd and isn't really worth spending too much time worrying about.

As far as i can see, the only benefit from religion comes if you set one up.....but then its a cult

Answer 4

The problems is people trying to embrace religion as a way to get close to God. The best thing is to read your bible, and have a personal relationship with God, without following all the rituals suggested by religion. This is possible. Some people think that by having an idea of what God is, and believing in that idea, they are alright. The problem with this is that the idea that this people have is self defined. They can believe in what ever they want to believe, it doesn't make it true. For this reason, the best approach is to have an exterior source of knowledge of God. The bible is this exterior source.

Answer 5

Here's my problem... I don't know if this will help with your problem or question, but here's my take on religion...

You don't have to go to church to be religious. You can have church in your own home, in your own way. My husband and I choose not to attend church because we have tried so many different religions and churches, and they are ALL full of hypocrites! I'm sick and tired of it. I would much rather pass on what I believe to my children as long as they are children. Then, when they are old enough to have a mind of their own and think for themselves, they can decide what's best for them. I am a good person, and I always try to do the right thing...operative word there was "try". I am not perfect, nor would I ever claim to be, nor would I ever try to be. I just want to live my life in a decent manner, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. My husband and I have both taught our children the difference between right and wrong, and we are STILL teaching them that... it's a work in progress.

Answer 6

Religion is the cause of 99% of wars in this world. I will not be preached to by someone who claims that they are closer to god than anyone else, it just means they learn the bible to heart and get a free house, wages etc.

I am Catholic, and my children are all being brought up in the faith, however my 16 year old refuses to attend church, her decision and I respect that - I am not about to flog, lash or behead her for having her own opinions!

Answer 7

My friend, your eyes have finally opened to the deception and vileness that is mankind.

True, religion has reaked havok on every entity it has touched, but...for the sake of being objective, can you imagine a world where there is zero religion? Everyone running around, doing what they desire with little or no regret? We'd still be barbarians. So, it was imperative that we lay down a set of rules to follow. But, we couldn't just say, "do this, and if you mess up, you'll be punished - just because" ...We (humans) had to create consequences of things that could really never be proven or disproven.

Yes, religion throughout history has been the birthplace of most wars, but imagine the world without it. Pick your poison wisely.

So dark the con of man.

Answer 8

you were me about 12-13 years ago...

I was raised in a pretty hardcore catholic family here in america...and when i went to visit my italian side of the family out there...wow, they were like super catholic as well, practically the whole country.

but things started changing for me...when actual science started changing the prenoted ideas of what the bible and the religious said...from the big bang, to darwinism...to when you look at the overall big picture of what is goin on and what happens here on earth...all the evil, the corruption, the cruelness of life. Would a involved god figure stand for it...not the one taught to me!

religion is a two part theory, one side of it is meant to explain, what at one time was the unexplainable(and there still are some secrets to be uncovered) the other is meant ot control the masses.

if there is a god of some sort, he is not a bearded figure that sits on a thrown in the heavens making things happen, at he very best (a diest theory) that god simply put the universe in motion and walked away from it.

i always say...if there was a god, wouldnt he make an effort to come right down to this planet and finally put things to rest and tell us once and for all who is right and who is wrong so we can stop the killing and the hate, and all just get along...

Answer 9

Wow! What a fun Atheist LOVE FEST! Look at all the folks who agree with you and think that being Godless is a great way to live!

I disagree, however. While I don't subscribe to denominational churches, I attend a non-denominational church, which is VERY large and continuing to grow beyond belief. Why? Because Jesus is what it is all about. And ONLY Jesus. We don't have church politics or any other kind of doctrine other than Biblical.

If you can live your life without the presence of God Almighty, dear one, then go right ahead! I shudder to think of what MY life would be like without the close relationship I have with Him!

Yes, church politics and some church doctrines can be both stifling and definitely not faith promoting. However, Christians need the close fellowship of OTHER Christians in order to grow and stay alive in Jesus.

God bless!

Answer 10

Given your background your reaction is perhaps understandable, but by no stretch of the imagination is Northern Ireland typical of the way Protestants and Catholics manage to get along with one another in most of the world.

As for that old saw about religion being at the root of all the worlds problems, there is a species called homo sapiens who are the source of the world's problems. Their worst characteristic is the way in which they tend to absolutise their ideals.

Answer 11

I feel the same....although i like to think that there is a god out there. I don't really believe in most man made religions- it seems that all holy books are written by men, for men. The majority of the relgions are sexist in one way or another- even though women are god's creations- why would he want to make a species so that it is discriminated against? I understand what your saying....and i don't think theres anything wrong with you for thinking it, because religion has caused alot of trouble in the world today, i mean, people have died because of it. However, i wouldn't say to lose faith in it altogether. I like to think i'v got my own religion going on.....I beleive in god, but i don't abide by any man-made rules that are being used, simply as you said, to control people. I have my own beliefs of how i should behave...i'm a nice person, i don't kill people, i'm never spiteful or anything....yes, i do some things wrong, but i wouldn't go as far as saying ive "sinned" and that i'm going to hell. God mad us as human, and all umans make mistakes! My advice? Beleive what u want to beleive, and don't let people force their ideas onto you :D