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Originally Posted by mmccarthy  Organised religion I believe has more to do with our need to believe in something outside ourselves that we can hold responsible for anything that happens outside our control. That doesn't mean there is no God just that the need to wrap up our beliefs in a set of rules and regulations bound up with ritualism is just our way of trying to control what we do not understand. |
What organized religions historically sought to control was people. They used fear and claimed authority to control and exploit people. In some cases that hasn't changed much.
Most of them have honest teachings at their core, however distorted by the politicians who followed the teachers. And you're right - the similarities are striking.