The Problem with Institutionalized Religion

[CorvusRexus]

IMHO, institutionalized religion is horrible. Honestly, what benefits are there in favor of it? You can go to church. Wouldn't a basic Christian service of some sort work in a uniform way for most or all Christian faiths? Instead of paying for the upkeep of dozens of half-full lavishly decorated churches, the Christian community could pay for a couple of merged, simplistic, large ones. After all, doesn't God care about us, not a church? Christians would think for themselves and stop being so darn intolerant. Rather than being force-fed a code of rigid and unchanging doctrines, Christians could identify the individual influences God has on their lives and carry out his will in the way he calls, rather than what your high school religion teachers tell you his will is and how you should act on it and how only their opinion is correct. Abolish institutions and the money donated towards wasteful spending could then be turned almost completely towards helping the poor!
Recap:
1. More money for poor.
2. Less churches everywhere and more room for basic development.
3. Help God to reach everybody in his own unique manner.
4. Remove prejudiced dogmas from being force-fed down children's throats in the name of God.

 

[Clement]

IMHO, institutionalized religion is horrible. Honestly, what benefits are there in favor of it? You can go to church. Wouldn't a basic Christian service of some sort work in a uniform way for most or all Christian faiths? Instead of paying for the upkeep of dozens of half-full lavishly decorated churches, the Christian community could pay for a couple of merged, simplistic, large ones. After all, doesn't God care about us, not a church? Christians would think for themselves and stop being so darn intolerant. Rather than being force-fed a code of rigid and unchanging doctrines, Christians could identify the individual influences God has on their lives and carry out his will in the way he calls, rather than what your high school religion teachers tell you his will is and how you should act on it and how only their opinion is correct. Abolish institutions and the money donated towards wasteful spending could then be turned almost completely towards helping the poor!
Recap:
1. More money for poor.
2. Less churches everywhere and more room for basic development.
3. Help God to reach everybody in his own unique manner.
4. Remove prejudiced dogmas from being force-fed down children's throats in the name of God.

This is so wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start. In addition to being one of the usual projectionist posts seen here so often, it really has no theological or even moral value.

1. IMHO, institutionalized religion is horrible. Honestly, what benefits are there in favor of it?

Because Christianity is no "institutional", it's familial. People go there to meet with God and others who share their beliefs and interests, hear of their sorrows, share their triumphs, pray for the sick, help the needy.

Wouldn't a basic Christian service of some sort work in a uniform way for most or all Christian faiths?

If it would, there wouldn't BE any other faiths.

Instead of paying for the upkeep of dozens of half-full lavishly decorated churches...

Oh, like the house churches...

...the Christian community could pay for a couple of merged, simplistic, large ones...

As if "large ones" are cheaper???

After all, doesn't God care about us, not a church?

We are the church, the "church" is not a building. The building is just where we meet.

Christians would think for themselves and stop being so darn intolerant.

There goes that irony meter again.

Rather than being force-fed a code of rigid and unchanging doctrines,

You mean like "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again"?

Christians could identify the individual influences God has on their lives and carry out his will in the way he calls, rather than what your high school religion teachers tell you his will is and how you should act on it and how only their opinion is correct.

I don't even know what the hell this is supposed to mean.

Abolish institutions and the money donated towards wasteful spending could then be turned almost completely towards helping the poor!

Right. Government churches. That's what we need.

 

[Chuckt]

IMHO, institutionalized religion is horrible. Honestly, what benefits are there in favor of it? You can go to church. Wouldn't a basic Christian service of some sort work in a uniform way for most or all Christian faiths? Instead of paying for the upkeep of dozens of half-full lavishly decorated churches, the Christian community could pay for a couple of merged, simplistic, large ones. After all, doesn't God care about us, not a church? Christians would think for themselves and stop being so darn intolerant. Rather than being force-fed a code of rigid and unchanging doctrines, Christians could identify the individual influences God has on their lives and carry out his will in the way he calls, rather than what your high school religion teachers tell you his will is and how you should act on it and how only their opinion is correct. Abolish institutions and the money donated towards wasteful spending could then be turned almost completely towards helping the poor!
Recap:
1. More money for poor.
2. Less churches everywhere and more room for basic development.
3. Help God to reach everybody in his own unique manner.
4. Remove prejudiced dogmas from being force-fed down children's throats in the name of God.

What kind of institution did Moses have and would your arguments be critical of Moses as well???

 

[CorvusRexus]

IMHO, institutionalized religion is horrible. Honestly, what benefits are there in favor of it? You can go to church. Wouldn't a basic Christian service of some sort work in a uniform way for most or all Christian faiths? Instead of paying for the upkeep of dozens of half-full lavishly decorated churches, the Christian community could pay for a couple of merged, simplistic, large ones. After all, doesn't God care about us, not a church? Christians would think for themselves and stop being so darn intolerant. Rather than being force-fed a code of rigid and unchanging doctrines, Christians could identify the individual influences God has on their lives and carry out his will in the way he calls, rather than what your high school religion teachers tell you his will is and how you should act on it and how only their opinion is correct. Abolish institutions and the money donated towards wasteful spending could then be turned almost completely towards helping the poor!
Recap:
1. More money for poor.
2. Less churches everywhere and more room for basic development.
3. Help God to reach everybody in his own unique manner.
4. Remove prejudiced dogmas from being force-fed down children's throats in the name of God.

What kind of institution did Moses have and would your arguments be critical of Moses as well???

Yes, I would be critical of Moses.