This question is at the heart of a two-part program recently shown in the UK. In it, Professor Richard Dawkins (interesting guy) goes after organized religion with both barrels, and challenges what he describes as "a process of non-thinking called faith" (that's pretty funny).
In this clip from part one, God Delusion, Dawkins and Evangelical Pastor Ted Hawkins discuss relgious doctrine vs. scientific method (As you listen to Mr. Dawkins, please note he frequently consults the President). And in part two, Virus of Faith (man, they don't mess around with these titles), Mr. Dawkins looks at various present-day societies, and how they use religious education to create barriors between themselves and people of other faiths...really interesting stuff.
I think this site put it best...Personally I am of the belief that science and God are not mutually exclusive. But perhaps science and religion are.
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The problem with organized religious belief is the tendency for folks to plunge themselves into a dogma in order to avoid actually thinking their way thru tough issues that arise in life. If you have a taut little world where all the decisions are made for eternity ("God is the same today, tomorrow, forever---sounds a lot like the infamous George Wallace speech about segregation in AL before a a couple of rounds caused his real "come to Jesus" moment), a degree of "safety" has been accrued. That's a difficult challenge to overcome in trying to separate our democratic values from pulpit grandstanding.
My one surviving grandmother taught Southern Baptist Sunday school classes(despite no ability to read ancient Hebrew or Greek, so her "teaching" was based on provided translation) for 40 years, but she'd NEVER vote for a Republican because she survived the Depression and she faults the GOP for not giving a damn about the suffering of Americans. There is a degree of hope that religious beliefs can be prevented from bastardizing our 200+ years of evolution in our democratic republic.
Morons like the LaHayes' and their Christian fiction society have done some damage to proper American citizenship with their undemocratic Christian dominionist bullshit. The best friend those of us who want to prevent Christianity from some of its more sinister results happens to be morons like Pat Robertson shooting from the hip. Post every comment of that sort by religious fanatics and maybe progress can be made in pushing them from office. Ralph Reed has done some good with his buddy and Jewish right-wing fanatic Jack Abramoff and his celebrity hatemongering rabbi "exile" from S. Africa.
Thanks you for the comment, and for persuading me to look up who LaHayes is.
ummm, where can I watch it?
I haven't found video for all of Part 1 or 2, but you can hear audio for all of part one by clicking on that first link.
Religion - it's been a great controlling tool of many governments for years. This definately has it's roots in the Roman society.
Go figure - a bunch of lazy Dagos influencing people's ideas by intimidation, the lure of insurance (i.e. if the public paid them "nuttin' would happen"), and continuous 'tributes' to subordinates as it eventually leads up to the top guy?
Fuggedaboutit. That doesn't happen here in this country, oh NO!