When does organized religion become dangerous?

[an anarchist]

When does an organized religion become dangerous?
I’ll use the Baha’i faith as an example for this thread.
Is the Baha’i faith dangerous? Should their political ideologies be opposed?
So, the Baha’is on this site are like some of the nicest people here, don’t get me wrong.
I was very interested in the Bahai faith at one point. They believe there should be a one world government which design is outlined in Baha’i scripture (at least from what I understand). This was a very attractive idea to me at first. However, looking back, I now see this as a possible danger to society.
Baha’is preach peace, sure, but what if Baha’u’llah is not a real prophet of God? Just some guy. There are only a few million Baha’is in the world right now, but imagine if there was a comparable number of them to let’s say, Christians (2 billion plus). We’d be in a lot of trouble I think.
One needs to only look at countries where religion has integrated itself with the political landscape. America has Christianity interwoven into their political system. Afghanistan is under Sharia (right?). Does mixing religion with politics ever result in anything good? No, they result in crusades and stuff like that.
I think this is when organized religion becomes dangerous. Supposing there is no prophet from god, then Mohammed and Baha’u’llah and other like figures are either delusional or con men. Either way, the influence that their religions wants to wield in politics is dangerous, not divinely directed.
I oppose the Baha’i world order, as well as any other religious order that seeks to exert its influence throughout the governments of the world.
Does that leave me opposing most religions?
What dangers of organized religion do you see?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Organized religion becomes dangerous when it sells its good qualities or good moral values for gains of power, political power, or financial advantage. Then things become under the power of shadowy figures who have what said religious organization "needs".

 

[Augustus]

What dangers of organized religion do you see?

Nothing unique.

Religions cause harm when they promote things that cause harm. They do good when they promote things that do good.

Same as any other belief system.

There isn't even any meaningful way to differentiate a religious from a non-religious belief system imo.

 

[Nakosis]

When does an organized religion become dangerous?
I’ll use the Baha’i faith as an example for this thread.
Is the Baha’i faith dangerous? Should their political ideologies be opposed?
So, the Baha’is on this site are like some of the nicest people here, don’t get me wrong.
I was very interested in the Bahai faith at one point. They believe there should be a one world government which design is outlined in Baha’i scripture (at least from what I understand). This was a very attractive idea to me at first. However, looking back, I now see this as a possible danger to society.
Baha’is preach peace, sure, but what if Baha’u’llah is not a real prophet of God? Just some guy. There are only a few million Baha’is in the world right now, but imagine if there was a comparable number of them to let’s say, Christians (2 billion plus). We’d be in a lot of trouble I think.
One needs to only look at countries where religion has integrated itself with the political landscape. America has Christianity interwoven into their political system. Afghanistan is under Sharia (right?). Does mixing religion with politics ever result in anything good? No, they result in crusades and stuff like that.
I think this is when organized religion becomes dangerous. Supposing there is no prophet from god, then Mohammed and Baha’u’llah and other like figures are either delusional or con men. Either way, the influence that their religions wants to wield in politics is dangerous, not divinely directed.
I oppose the Baha’i world order, as well as any other religious order that seeks to exert its influence throughout the governments of the world.
Does that leave me opposing most religions?
What dangers of organized religion do you see?

I think when they've gained he ability to enforce their beliefs on others.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I think when they've gained he ability to enforce their beliefs on others.

But that is not unique to religion.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

The Star Wars prequels have me scared of things being fine, but then some sort of charismatic mad man gaining control of whole institutions and everything.

 

[ChristineM]

Religion because dangerous when it imposes it beliefs on others

 

[an anarchist]

Nothing unique.

Religions cause harm when they promote things that cause harm. They do good when they promote things that do good.

Same as any other belief system.

There isn't even any meaningful way to differentiate a religious from a non-religious belief system imo.

But that is not unique to religion.

I feel religion is peculiar. It preys on people’s belief in God. Religion claims to be an intercessor for man and God. It plays on people’s hearts like that. Sure, some people have just as strong convictions about their political beliefs, but I still feel religion is in a category of its own. It’s this that makes it dangerous, because people will be willing to do anything for religion, such as support a global theocracy.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I feel religion is peculiar. It preys on people’s belief in God. Religion claims to be an intercessor for man and God. It plays on people’s hearts like that. Sure, some people have just as strong convictions about their political beliefs, but I still feel religion is in a category of its own. It’s this that makes it dangerous, because people will be willing to do anything for religion, such as support a global theocracy.

Well, you have secular savior ideologies.

 

[an anarchist]

Well, you have secular savior ideologies.

Elaborate?

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Elaborate?

E.g. communism is one. You save humankind by transforming humans into the perfect communistic human.
There are others though.

 

[an anarchist]

E.g. communism is one. You save humankind by transforming humans into the perfect communistic human.
There are others though.

Well I don’t believe a state can save humanity, as an anarchist. I’m not sure that’s relevant, though. Free market anarchism only takes for granted that humans are self interested creatures, no need to transform any humans. So I’m not sure I agree with the assessment that I have secular savior ideologies. Maybe, I still don’t fully understand. Thanks for elaborating.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Well I don’t believe a state can save humanity, as an anarchist. I’m not sure that’s relevant, though. Free market anarchism only takes for granted that humans are self interested creatures, no need to transform any humans. So I’m not sure I agree with the assessment that I have secular savior ideologies. Maybe, I still don’t fully understand. Thanks for elaborating.

Let us look at your ideology. There is no state so all justice is up to whom? Or all humans now just rational? What about pollution? There are other problems if we look closer.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

As for the Baha'i faith, I zoned in with it for awhile, but zoned out after thinking they didn't have solutions to complex problems like transgender bigotry, true acceptance of homosexuality. I eventually did get some answers, but it was like a year later. And it shouldn't take people a year to answer this question. If they want to bring world peace, then complex world issues should be fresh on their mind. In my humble opinion.

 

[an anarchist]

Let us look at your ideology. There is no state so all justice is up to whom? Or all humans now just rational? What about pollution? There are other problems if we look closer.

Free market law and order is a slightly confusing and highly theoretical concept, as with all things free market. The free market is the governing force in this model. I barely started explaining how anarchism would work in another thread, I’ll tag you because I started with law and order in a theoretical ancap society.
I’ll update that thread as I read more, so if you’re interested in how it could hypothetically work...

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Free market law and order is a slightly confusing and highly theoretical concept, as with all things free market. The free market is the governing force in this model. I barely started explaining how anarchism would work in another thread, I’ll tag you because I started with law and order in a theoretical ancap society.
I’ll update that thread as I read more, so if you’re interested in how it could hypothetically work...

Look forward. It has been around 10 years since I looked into it in earnest.

 

[Polymath257]

When a group of people organizes, they show that they are interested in power. Whatever their original beliefs were, that drive to power will take over.

So, religion becomes dangerous when it becomes organized (if not before).

 

[The Hammer]

New When a group of people organizes, they show that they are interested in power. Whatever their original beliefs were, that drive to power will take over.

Power in and of itself isn't a bad thing though. That can give us the ability to help communities on the large scale, as much as hinder them.

 

[Father Heathen]

Religion becomes dangerous when it discourages critical thinking and demands unquestioning obedience, and when it seeks to impose itself upon people, especially via violence.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Religion becomes dangerous when it discourages critical thinking and demands unquestioning obedience, and when it seeks to impose itself upon people, especially via violence.

Yeah, but that is the same with say orthodox communism.