Let me play devils advocate a moment...

Religion offers an opportunity for the elite to claim advantage over the uninitiated by claiming special knowledge of an inscrutable god.

Well, yes, but that point could be used for both the pro and con sides of religion, now couldn't it?

LHP perspective?

The elite always find a way to rise to the top and seize the advantage, that's what makes them elite. I can think of very few successful churches with a pauper at their head.

Gotta go now.

I predict a feeding frenzy.

Just about any enterprise can be used to take advantage of the uninitiated (if by this, you mean those devoid of critical thinking skills), no?

I

What is, or is not, "faith based religion". It could, and has been, be argued by some that all religion is ultimately "faith based". Everything we think we know is open to question. Our senses lie to us all the time, and so we take even the smell of fresh baked cookies on faith. For Buddhists the perceptual world is illusory, a dream that is a false face for Ultimate Reality. On the other hand, one can have a personal experience of Enlightenment where the fetters of time/space fall away and the self withers into the nothingness of the Buddha Nature. I might know Ultimate Reality, but everyone else may deem me mad.

If one takes the materialistic approach and believes that only the Perceptual World exists, a leap of faith in itself, then every belief that holds otherwise is deemed false. In this case "faith based" becomes a prejudicial slur. This isn't a very good way to begin looking for Truth, one of the principle goals of most religions.

Christianity as a "thought-viris and "addiction". That is a pretty strong condemnation of Christianity, but then there is some justification for holding such views. Christianity isn't a unified thing with everyone holding the same beliefs and doctrines, so it is possible (isn't it?) that some schools/sects may be be less objectionable than others. Christianity is only one branch of Abrahamic family and based on montheistic theology. If one is a "thought-viris and addiction", shouldn't that condemnation be applied to all the Abrahamic religions? How about other monotheistic religions that do not spring from Judahism? Perhaps it is the concept of a single diety with human characteristics that is the real villain. When I was a lad we were taught that monothesism was a great leap forward in religious belief, bosh.

Has religion any value to justifiy its continued existence? Oh yes, I believe it serves a number of important functions in human society and for individuals. A few months ago I started a thread here on the Religion and Spirituality forum that was very similar, you might want to visit and read some of the postings there. Purposes of Religion

I think your listing is pretty good, though sometimes stated a bit differently than I would have done. My biggest problem with your listing is that it is directed at religion in general, while stated in terms that are not universal. "Religion elevates man above the level of everything else, and tailors the world to his needs", is an example. SOME religions may do that, but not all. A number of oriental religions do not elevate Man above the rest of world, and many put man at the mercy of a structure antithetical to individual desires.

Some of your "positives" that are associated with religion may really be "negatives". Isn't a sense of "righteousness" the foundation of prejudice and chauvinistism?

I use the word faith in the context of 'belief without evidence' Any religion that forwards and unproven/unproveble claim falls into this category.

That bit was just a qualifier to my position. However my position is not the subject of discussion.

Without exceptions it wouldn't be a rule.
'In general', as in the vast majority.

Hah! Reminds me of a bird watching tour I participated in. Seems like the whole idea is to learn identification in excruciating detail and convince others that the distinctions are important; hence, becoming important oneself. Personally, I don't care if I saw a Canadian nutcase, or a crested nutcase. I'll just tell people I saw a nutcase.

Do you mean that Canadian nutcases aren't special? ;-)

Not a bit of it, Intrepid. It's just that we have plenty of our own.

Interesting Doc$

Reading through your list, the only part that appealed to me personally was the structure part.

needing at least some type of structure. Very true.

I believe in God, but actively turn away from most of the other points you mentioned.

So, are you primarily talking about relegion, or a belief in a creator/supreme being?

Maybe a SUPPOSED objective truth, but not an objective truth, by a long shot. That, IMO is one of the main flaws with religion. It expects its adherents to accept a body of thought that has very little to do with reality. When one questions the contradictions, the "party line" is that one must believe, through faith, which is belief in the absence of reason or logic. Where there is faith, there can be NO objective truth, merely emotional agreement.

And "emotional agreement" can often be quite a pleasant and useful method of proceeding.

maybe this falls into the "catch all" catagory, but the aspect of religion that credits events happening because "it was God's will", rather than taking accountability for results of your actions.

Perhaps it's not the major cause of feeling the need to belong to a religion, but I think it's right up there.

Yes, I see that as the root of the whole 'blame videogames for mass murders' phenomenon that is becoming more predominant in our society..
But I certainly didn't see it as a plus...Maybe that's just my slanted perspective.

You nailed it with this in my opinion. Man is, by nature, a self-serving animal. Every action bar none is done with a motive, and this is no less true of religion. Every religion in existence today has some sort of 'award' or 'payoff' for following it. Be it finding inner peace, earning eternal life, or what-have-you, there isn't a single one that is followed merely to glorify something or someone else.

Take, for example, christianity. You have Catholic, Christian Orthodox, Church of Christ, Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, all professing to believe in the same basic tenants, but all tailored to fit the different desires of the worshippers.

You like acapella singing? Go sign up with the Church of Christ'ers.

You prefer a full jazz ensemble? Check out the Community Church.

Religion is about fulfilling the needs of the person, not about paying homage to a deity. Nevermind what the pamphlets say.

Cahi,
Missed this little tidbit...

Religion itself. Primarily abrahamic.

Phoenix32890,

So say you and I, but to a believer the objective truth is totally real (or as real as the fantasy has taken them)