Who says...

In this current environment of fact checking and wanting to know if something is true or not before actually taking it in...I did a search asking "who wrote the bible".  I was quite surprised by the answers I found - as I believed the Church would shut down any answer that did not coincide with it's teachings.  That was not the case.  The consistent answer I found was similar to the on found on WikiAnswers 


"A group of bishops in the early years of the Church assembled the Bible. The actual books and chapters are credited to various prophets, apostles and disciples. But, the book as a whole was created by an assembly. They wanted to collect the most important Christian writings and histories into a single book that would be enough for any person to have all that they needed to study and understand God's message. They put together the Bible. They did not write it but they made it. Like an editor putting together a book of short stories or essays. There is no one person that wrote the Bible. Although some people say God wrote it this is untrue."


That group of bishops actually cherry picked the books they wanted to include based on what the message they wanted to convey.  Many books were left out.  Why?  Too controversial?  Would it have changed the course of religion had those books been included?


Why do so many people believe in stories that are unsubstantiated and contain information that has, at best, only sketchy truths?  


The best answer I can come up with is that repeated stories, if repeated often enough, to enough people, will eventually be taken as truth, even if it can be proven unequivocally it is false.  This is what ORGANIZED RELIGION has done for centuries to keep the masses in line and keep those in authority within the organization, well-off.  Think about it - can you belong to a church without being expected to tithe to that church?  No, but you do get a tax deduction for doing so.  


These authority figures have used the cloak of religion to murder non-believers during the Crusades, and even today use the cover of God to suggest how you should vote, who you should patronize as a business or even deny a woman the right to decide what she can do with her body (after all - a woman isn't as important as a man in the eyes of religion).


Why aren't more people asking questions about religion and about the role organized religion is playing in everyday life, in particular the pressure that is being brought down on our government by the so-called Christian community.  It seems to me that this whole community is built on a false premise and has built this industry on a false god, their belief in a supreme being.  I do not begrudge them their belief - just don't force it on the rest of us, or try to legislate based on your stories that haven't been validated.  


Religion needs to stay in the church - that is why it is given a tax-free status.  When it comes out of the church, it should no longer enjoy that tax-free status as it has now entered other realms. 


You can argue that the church does good works.  I will argue that the people who have tithed to the church have enabled the good works to be done.  Not the church.  It is just the vehicle.


You can argue that the church gives you a place to congregate and learn and teach about living "their" right way.   I will argue that "the" right way is innate.  


You know whether hitting someone is right or wrong.  You know whether stealing is right or wrong and I will argue that going to church is only a means for those who have done those things to think they will be forgiven for what they have done.  It's often disingenuous.


Ultimately, you have to live with yourself and what you do to other people.  If you can do that, then you are living your life the way you are meant to.