Why religions and ideologies suck and why a truly logical and freedom-minded spirituality needs to be the core of our humanity instead

First things first, religion and ideology are the same thing, the only difference is one references a god or gods and one doesn't. That means that any belief that you are willing to live, obey, sacrifice, fight, injure, kill, and die for is either part of a religion or an ideology. Most people don't look at it this way so I want to get this out of the way first.

Another point that requires clarification is what falls into a religion or ideology. Let's give some examples. Religions include: Paganism, Wicca, Satanism, Luciferianism, Freemasonry, Catholicism, Lutheranism, Islam, Sufism, Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, Bahai, Mormonism, etc. Ideologies include: Communism, Socialism, Fascism, Anarchism, Capitalism, Technocracy, Atheism, etc.

People love religion and ideologies. I personally think this is because then people don't need to go through all the effort to think logically and critically all the time. I mean, how many people really want to have to think about how they should act in every situation and with every decision. It's just so much easier to hand your thinking and your life over to some religion or ideology that dictates how you should act. They even have people at the top that will very happily direct you with everything you are supposed to believe and do instead.

Of course there's the big heaven and hell carrot and stick that is used on people as well. "Do this or you won't be allowed into heaven." "Do that or you'll be roasting in hell for eternity." What ever happened to do the right thing for the sake of the right thing and not because of some eternal salvation or damnation? However, this argument doesn't fill pews and coffers.

Now I'm going to be honest here. I am a Christian, but NOT a Christian in either a religious or an ideological sense. I don't belong to a church. I instead philosophically believe in the very simple rule that Jesus Christ espoused as the essence of his teaching, "Love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself." You can't argue with this logic. It's so simple. It's just the Golden Rule of "do unto others as you would want them to do unto you."

The Golden Rule guarantees personal freedom, personal autonomy, free expression for everyone regardless of who they are or what group they belong to. I don't see this as anything but common sense and the cornerstone upon which free society around the world has been historically built. What some religions may do in the name of Christ is a wholly different thing altogether. That's where religions and ideologies comes in and make the world into a living hell for anyone that doesn't ascribe to their belief system (and as well for those that do.)

Why are religions and ideologies inherently bad news?

In my view, people are not inherently bad based upon the religion they profess. However, religions and ideologies themselves are more dangerous than pretty much anything else on the planet. They horribly distort and subvert people's logic and reason on an ongoing basis. People do insanely horrible and destructive things based upon them. These people are even convinced that what they are doing is the right thing, even if it is highly illogical and destructive. This is the true danger of religions and ideologies.

I won't get into the debate here about what is and is not a religion or ideology versus a philosophy. Instead I would invite you to assess any religion or ideology you know of in accordance with a few simple assessment points. The more matches and more strongly it is represented by these points, the more it signifies something dangerous and destructive. If it doesn't fit most or all of these points, then we are discussing instead a peaceful philosophy.

Here's your checklist for dangerous religions and ideologies:

• Encourage people to do things that are destructive or harmful to others or themselves in the name of their religion or ideology

• Strive for more power for their religion or ideology at the detriment / loss of freedom of all others around them

• Have dictatorial powers based in a select few that lead the religion or ideology without any real influence from their followers

• Try to control and subvert truly representative law, governments, or other groups, and they do not already indirectly own or control

• Do not work according to very simple, clear, and freedom-focused logic in how all people are treated (for people either within or outside the religion), e.g. "no harm to others", "love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself", "inherent protection of the weak and innocent", inherent "freedom of thought, discussion, and expression" for all, etc.

• Institutionalize any of the above dangerous and destructive behaviors either publicly or secretly (secretly to hide their destructive behaviors and therefore not be seen badly in the public light)

What's needed instead

Religions and ideologies simply act as divide and conquer techniques for the masses. Those in power use them to pit one group against another in either ongoing conflicts or major wars. Once a conflict starts, they take advantage of this to advance their agendas without any concern for the religions or ideologies that they profess to support along the way. People become simple pawns to their agendas via their fervent belief and support for one of the two sides are being manipulated.

The "Coexist" agenda (yes, it's an agenda) has nothing to do with really wanting to just get along. It has to do with "learning" to accept all religions and ideologies regardless of how destructive and violent they may be. What no one wants to mention is that some religions and ideologies are far more violent and destructive than others, and that some are even doing this covertly through long-term subversion. (e.g. Freemasonry)

After be forced together long enough in a society, conflicts between different religions and ideologies break down the social cohesion. This in turn enables eventual subversion of representative government. This is what is known as Cultural Marxism. At some point, a One World Government will be offered to the people as a new alternative. A mishmash UN religion will proffered to the masses as well. A religion that in reality worships Lucifer behind the scenes.

What is really needed to have a world of peace and coexistence is to turn to a logical and freedom-minded spirituality instead. A spirituality that focuses on the sanctity of freedom of the individual. A spirituality that fully rejects manipulation, subversion, and force to achieve its ends. Spirituality must be the foundation of our lives in order to have a healthy society. However, it needs to be a spirituality that is based upon real love and kindness to all and not based upon following some special beliefs or groups. Furthermore, we must use our logic and reason in full alignment with our spirituality for it to be fully effective. It can't be about handing over our thinking to some select few.

Many people make the mistake of simply going to the next extreme of atheism after they have been disappointed by the many destructive religions and ideologies that exist. I have a very different proposition. Embrace our inherent spirituality, but reject all those that want to hijack it through religion and ideology and turn us into their unwitting minions. Instead, find what is true and right and embrace this at the core of our beings as the real truth. This is what real spirituality is supposed to be about.