Religion and Dogma

[Vassnti]

Original Buddhism yes, but not Chinese Buddhism.

In Chinese Folk Religion and Chinese Buddhism we have hundreds of Gods.

As it seems does every religion, Catholics started with one "God" then added a son his mother, a few really good people now you cant swing a cat without hitting a saint.
One all knowing all powerful god is a hard concept to get your head around, the local spirit/kami/Deva/Elohim that helped you find your lost goat is easier to deal with.

 

[Vassnti]

At this stage one is forced to ask - What is it about religion that it inspires such cruelty as well as such kindness? How can the same fount of religion can be used to justify terrorism as well as altruism

Perhaps before we start the discussion on what is wrong with religion we need to define what is religion?

The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods?

A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence?

Or perhaps, my own humble view, religion is the pearl excreted around god by man. We find the divine an irritant much like the oyster is uncomfortable with a grain of sand we need to coat it in a way that makes us feel comfortable. Even when a religion has a divine rule book, before the ink has dried there are a collection of "experts" ( strangely nearly always wizen old men scared of women kids and any thing new) telling us what God really meant.

After all

“God has no religion.”
― Mahatma Gandhi