I wonder how many reading this would agree that religion is evil. Yes, I said that. It doesn’t matter which religion it is but those countries that have majorities in one or another always seem to be exposed for what they are. It’s not love and peace, more obey what we say or else. There are still Christian countries that have laws against blasphemy. In Muslim countries, it’s actually illegal to renounce Islam – that person may be jailed, even killed.
I always wonder, after something has been exposed, like the pedophile priests in Pennsylvania. It was a huge story for what? Two weeks? How much has anyone heard about it since, or the other states that have launched investigations? Not much if anything at all. Why doesn’t the local news carry stories about protestant pastors that have been arrested for the same abuses? We may see something, but generally anything to do with religious belief doesn’t seem to cause much outrage.
These are just child abuse allegations and no one knows what any of these religions do behind closed doors. Here in the U.S. we call it “Freedom of Religion” but just because we all have the right to worship as we please, or not, does that place the institutions in a special class where they cannot be investigated at all? They’re businesses, even if they have a 501(c)3 exemption from taxes. We allow these to do much as they want to without any oversight.
Of course none of the above take into account how children are indoctrinated to belief. When a child, barely old enough to walk and talk is told they’re going to suffer the flames of Hell, by their parents, unless they believe, is a form of child abuse. The church community doesn’t even try to discourage such behavior. If they did, they’d find their membership dwindling. Belief consists of fear and intimidation.
And still, there is much, much more I can say here about religion, like how millions have died in the name of one or another religion. That’s the largest evil of all in my opinion. The torture and murder of those millions for simply not believing in a particular religion. And it goes on today.
I think that religion has perpetuated more evil on this world than anything else. It’s done less for humanity, over all, than any political ideology. It’s too bad many can;t wake up and realize this. If they did, religion would be gone.
Conservative Skeptic 
I agree Jim. Even while I was a Christian when my son came home from Wed night Awana youth service and told me he got saved and wouldn’t be going to hell or be raptured before tribulation and antichrist I knew in my got he made the decision because of fear which he confirmed to me. Now it seems very plain to me it was manipulation and preying on his fear of hell. That is mental abuse that sticks with you for YEARS and it is wrong and mental abuse.
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That’s an interesting story…worth a post when you get time I think.
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You should really define what you mean by evil first. I think I know what you mean, but evil is a complicated concept that means different things to different people.
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Imposing your will on others?
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Evil is not a thing; evil is human behavior that harms whatever is good in the world. I think Conner and Jim are both correct. We know evil when we are exposed to such behavior, but it is difficult to define, because of subjective definitions of such traits.
A masochist may consider good those who bring him the “relief” of receiving pain. But imposing that will of pain upon those who do not want it, would be evil.
And, we could submit that a sad-masichist relationship eventually twists all “normal” concepts of evil and good, which may bring the destruction of one or both the human beings in the relationship, but our prejudice would be showing.
Evil humans will find a way to perform evil and promote evil wherever opportunities arise, Boy Scouts, houses of worship, schools, families, governments.
For some humans, an outside influence will alter their “good” behavior into “evil” behavior, alcohol and other drugs, trauma from abuse, mental illness, traumatic brain injury. Satan? The whispering of demons? Ignorant people believe this is what happens to those who deny God.
If God is with them and Jesus protects them, why must they constantly be on guard with spiritual warfare to protect themselves from Satan and the demons?
It is hard to live with only yourself to protect yourself from doing evil, but we know that gods and the Abrahamic God have done evil and promoted evil and we know that the religions which support those deities have followed scriptural or prophetic guidance.
Semantics always gets in the way of defining evil and good, but like the fellow stated about art, he knows it when he sees it.
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