The purpose of religion
I do agree, centralized authority usually does more harm than good.
But that leads to an interesting question.
What is the purpose of organized religion?
I believe at first that the real purpose of religion is to open up the seeker to the Divine. Sort of a combination between training wheels and a road sign.
It comes back to that "power with versus power over" thing again. At some point, a smart teacher is going to want allies, not servants.
Look at the history of almost any faith. The "saints" usually questioned orthodoxy. On the other hand, gaming the "system" means that you have a vested interest in preserving orthodoxy.
I think the fork in the road is when faith is a personal experience instead of social manipulation.
Sadly, not too many see the difference.
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Pagan philosopher, libertarian, and part-time trouble maker, NeoWayland looks at keeping truths alive despite a wash of nonsense.
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Published On: Dec 07, 2008 01:28 PM
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