Many accuse all world religions for preying on the weak and further exploiting them using many tactics such as guilt to shape their minds into submission of the religious sect. Where as this has been documented throughout history, many still contend that religion is good as it is a bond, which holds together societies and civilizations with a code of conduct. Indeed, one cannot deny that is a said benefit of religion, yet it comes at the expense of the individual and freedom, civil rights and pursuit of happiness if it is abused. Recently this philosophical discussion came up in an online conversation and it was explored in detail and in every regard. One individual made an interesting statement and indicated that: Islamic fundamentalism is code for preying on those who have very little in life and use it as an opportunity to spread an agenda. This is an astute observation indeed. And we must also realize that nearly any religion is a control mechanism where the individual is de-empowered and gives their life, tithing or commitment to the group, which is controlled by the leadership. Any religion like any human group needs to expand to remain a viable group and to do so without attrition must continue to exercise more control. We see this from Chimpanzee tribes to Mega Corporation, Dictatorships, religions and sports teams. So this should not surprise anyone. Think on this in 2006. |
