corsair

I abhor organized religion, and just a few years ago read some books on Budism and Zen. Budism is a gentle religion that, unlike the rest, is not based upon guilt and fear.
I was raised Catholic, and saw through the whole hocus pocus thing at an early age. One of my favorite stories . . I was about 10 yrs old, riding home from church one Sunday, when we passed by a Lutheran church. The minister and his wife and 3 little girls, were standing on the front steps, greeting the parishoners. A light went on in my brain, that this minister was a living example for his parishoners, living amongst them with his family. Then, I thought about the Catholics, celibacy, secrecy, nuns, a latin service that to a kid looked like a magic show, and I imediately realized that all that I had been told about Catholicism being the only true religion was bullshit. I stopped going to church when I went away to college, and never went back.
I realized later on, that all churches are just businesses. They raise money from their "sheep" and make investments and buy real estate. They keep their "flock" loyal, by using guilt and fear. Also, if you go into the poor sections of most major cities, you'll find little churches on what seems like every other corner. It is obvious, that all those "ministers" have learned how to make their living off of the people in their neighborhoods. It's a job, just like any other.
We have churches here, that are in the entertainment business. They build their congregation by puting on performances - music, plays, theater. etc. Show business. I guess that's symptomatic of modern people trying to get away from old fashioned organized religion.
I personally believe that religion comes from within yourself. It's a conscious state, that provides input to your decisions and life choices . . nothing more.