Joe- I hear folks saying, in essence, "if extreme versions and exercise of Catholicism (or any religion, for that matter) is wrong, where should the line be drawn? Why is a moderate version 'right'?"

It may be that the same argument applies to the entire gamut of religious expression & belief. There is an old 'joke' about sex that goes "excessive sex is when anyone does it more that YOU do." I think that religion could be plugged into that joke with very little re-phrasing.

There are only a few basic questions:

1)IS there a real cognitive, creative force behind the universe as we know it?

2) IF there is, does 'it' care what we do, including worshiping 'it'?

3)IF it does, how do we know what the rules are?

If you are not sure about 1), then you don't even need to answer 2 & 3 and all the sub-questions that follow. All you need deal with then is what to do with all the people who are telling you that THEY know the answers and influencing the very fabric of your life with decisions, laws, and practices based on THEIR beliefs.

I simply do not know any way to deal with question #1, barring a relevation so clear it CANNOT be mistaken.

The answer to the thread topic is, simply, NO, religion is not rubbish, because the tendency to consider it has influenced most of mankind's history and we have the mental capacity to ponder the question....religion is VERY important.

Now...Is religion 'true' or 'necessary'? There are a couple more topics that may be what Sir j0hn meant to ask in the first place!