Can Religion be Altruistic

Religion does have an advantage, with people who are in some degree altruistic, in that they can do all things that the term implies, while also believing they are obeying a supreme power. But intrinsic to religion is a degree of bigotry, with priests who declare what people should believe, using the formula of obedience to God. If God is defined in terms of altruism, what is 'obeyed' is in fact altruism. 'God is Love' is entirely different to obedience to the will of God. As elsewhere argued, altruism is an end value involving various subsidiary values, and freedom is one. Freedom to be bigoted is an absurdity. People and communities, in so far as an imperfect world allows, must have freedom of thought and expression and, above all, the freedom to declare old ideas to be inadequate, or simply mistaken. The idea, for instance, that there is one religion called Christianity barely deserves scrutiny. All versions involve some regard for Jesus of Nazareth. but a Unitarian is far removed from a Trinitarian. Ritualists are far removed from most forms of Protestantism. Go out and make us a profit is different to help others. Science, or natural philosophy, has more to commend it, so far as an open mind is concerned, than most religion.