BonoVoxSupastar said:
Man's invention was spirituality + politics= religion, and politics divide.
Although I generally agree with you (except that, in the Christian religion, in the New Testament, Christ seemed to call for community), my take on that equation would be:
Wherever 2 or more people gather + a cause = politics, and politics can be divisive. On the other hand, not all politics are necessarily detrimental to an organization or society. Without certain political interactions (e.g., a vote on a plan for a new church building, which would generally come about after much discussion with opinions offered [i.e., politics]), an organization couldn't get anything done.
kobayashi said:
those i interact with who are religious seem to gain a great deal from it. and thats great.
but on a macro scale the passion attached to those religions seems dangerous in that it results in a lot of physical and emotional harm. im sure there is also some value in the congregation however.
I don't know the answer to your question, but I can at least make a few possibly relevant observations about Christianity (I can't say much with respect to Islam, Judaism, or other religions):
The Christian religion is made up of churches. Churches are made up of people. People express their personal politics in all aspects of their life. People's politics are shaped by all possible sociological/experiential influences.
I disagree with many of the tenets of Conservative Evangelicalism. However, I realise that much of what I disagree with are the
politics of that church, just as many Conservative Evangelicals would likely disagree with the politics of the more liberal laity of the Episcopal Church (e.g., electing a gay man as Bishop), of which I am a member.
I actually am sometimes disappointed that the church does not take a more vocal stance on certain injustices in this world. So in that sense, I'd like to see MORE politics coming from the church. But only in that sense. (Again, though, this goes to my personal political perspective. Can't escape those damn politics.
)
I do believe that there is immense value in congregation, in community. However, I also understand that many people feel differently.
As to your comment that "on a macro scale the passion attached to [religion] seems dangerous in that it results in a lot of physical and emotional harm," well, I agree with you that it does seem that way. But I wonder, if religion did not exist, would people not find another way to collectively propagate their politics?