Most Religion Is Ageless Wisdom, (not just Christian Religions) But When Others Try to Interpret the Religion And Believe It Will Solve Every Problem One Encouters in one's Life, I believe that it the Folly, If not Insanity of Religion.

Many Years Ago I had A Health Care Professional tell me He's Seen More People In Mental Hospitals Over Too Much Religion Than from any other cause.

I Have A Close Catholic Friend of Mine That Has Too Much Religion, and personally I question his ability to discern reality. For Example Some of the Following Statements Are His Convictions:

1. He was taken up into Space (during an immoral act of co-habitation) Toward the Planet Pluto and was set on Fire, Told To return to earth, where he would become an Angel and Destroy the World With Fire on the great judgement day which is to come.

2. He saw the Virgin Mary in Resurrection Sementary and Later Saw Jesus Standing on the Banks of the Red River of the North. ( Wow I thought Jesus was supposed to come a second time for us only, not a third)

When I ask how he knows that he saw these beings, he cannot answer but is postively sure he is right.

He also believes he must continually suffer (and actually WILL physcially suffer on a cross, just like Jesus and reminds me (every single day) That the world might end today.

Anyway, was it Religion that did this to him, Or His abuse of Religion. I would think the later.

Religion, like most activities can either be healthy or unhealthy, depending on how balanced the person is who is participating in the religious experience.

Habit and Environment are the keys to a well balanced religious individual. Religious Fanatism, Revivalism etc. are usually the results of weak minded suspectable individual's who do not control the thought impulses and directions of their minds.

Thought Impulse combined with emotion, create actions and beliefs, People thus that cannot control their minds, cannot control their outcomes. I think all religious fundamentalist are a little on the mentally ill side as emotion and religious excitment gains more importance than logic.

Illogical actions, leads to mind control and/or mental illness. So in many ways I would agree with you, that religion does NOT largely help the world, in that it is hard to control when placed in the hands of competant rabble rowsers that can manipulate and milk the sacred texts for all they are worth for there own benefit.

Religious scriptures in any religion should only be read by competant people that have the ability of reason and can use the full faculty of thier minds (to make the religion compliment thier lives)

Unbalance people that fall for anything, need help and discernment, more than they need there Bibles.

I know for me, religion (not just Christian religion) has made my life an enriching experience of pure joy, but like everything worthwhile in life, the proper balance of all experiences is what brings the real joy in life (i.e. you don't need to live your religion 24 hours in order to be religious)

Even my new mystical experiences, I try not to overdue, If I did, I believe that just like the Religous Fanatic, I too would lose track of the fact that they are just that: experiences, not constraining rules and prisons of non-discernment.

Dewey