Dear Mr Opinion,

I answered your question about religion on
page 3 of this discussion but I shall briefly
repeat it for you as defined by Durkheim who atated that -

we can say that religion is a system of community shared
beliefs and rituals that are oriented toward some sacred,
supernatural realm.

The phenomenon is of such universal social importance
that it has long been, and remains, a major focus of
sociological interest.

Ì have come to see, however, that true religion is
internal , not external. The spirit within us cannot be
blamed for the for the blasphemies as stated earlier,
that are carried out in its name. What some have done
in the name of religion, projecting their neuroses, even
perpetrating evil on the world does not as Yuyutsu has
pointed out - make religion as a myatical phenomenon
invalid. In fact nothing could be so relevant and so
necessary in the world today.

Dear Foxy,

I saw where you cited Durkheim but his definition is only part of the answer. What about when one is separated in space and time from the social group . This raises other questions of psychology and philosophy.

"Does religion breed hatred, bigotry, and violence?"

No.

Religion is part of its home society. It reflects the values of that society and in turn is melded by the values of that society.

It is neither divisive nor unifying. It provides a focal unifying point for an already unified state but equally provides a point of difference for societies which are already divided.

All societies, as far as we know, have had a notion of the eternal. Religion is you like codifies that.

Equally all societies need some method to enforce overriding rules. No group of people can exist without rules banning murder, theft and protecting the sanctity of the family. Religion offers that. Half of the Ten Commandments relate to such rules. Of coarse they can be enforced via earthly authorities, but they are so important that it is far better to have them enforced by a greater being. That's why many absolute rulers in the past sought to have themselves deified, in order to better enforce their rule.
So religion offers a way for society to set and maintain common and required rules of the society.

Its all too easy to confuse the use of religion in political disputes with thinking that the religion is the cause of the disputes. The problems in Eire for the past 400 years are not caused by the religious difference. They already exist and would exist religion or no. The religion merely offers one, among many, ways of defining the differences and separating the differing forces. A bit like wearing a footy guernsey when attending a match, although on a grander scale.

All societies need a belief in something greater than themselves. As formal religions of old are discarded, we don't abandon religion, we replace it. With climatism, environmentalism, apocalyptic scenarios.

"When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything." Chesterton

Religion keeps society sane. We are now headed toward the insane.

Dear Mr Opinion,

If we carve out an inner kingdom for ourselves,
dwell there with God, we are cleansed no matter
where we travel. :-)

This world is a school.
Yuyutsu,
yes, with greed being the curriculum !

The Straw house that is every faith will be tested on the day humanity finds out we are not alone in the solar system
In fact that may be a reason, if our governments know they have not told us