Organized Religion, Good or Bad?

[fantassy]

JI feel that organized religion is absolutely critical to a stable government. There will always be classes in society, and religion is the best way to keep control of the lower classes, which also tend to be more numerous.
--Mali

You certainly express the view held by Thomas Hobbs. He too argued that the moral suasion of ministers and the promise/threat of eternal rewards and punishments could be harnessed to state purposes as an auxiliary form of social control since "men's actions are derived from the opinions they have of good and evil." However, that view was considered and rejected by Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and James Madison when drafting the religious liberty clause(s) of the U.S. Constitution. "Congress shall mke no law repecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Jefferson, especially, saw this clause as "building a wall of separation between Chruch and State." He saw the effects of organized religion on government as largely deleterious, leading to persecution and civil war. (hmm, can we say Iraq?)

Not sure if this stuff adds to the discussion, but your comments made me think of it.

fantassy