Religion,like every other man-made thing, is a tool, with the potential to go good or bad, depending on the person using it. There is a lot of power in Christianity, and, as Spider-Man is insistantly telling us, ' with great power comes great responsibility '.
Personally, I'm an atheist, but I don't believe that religion is inherently bad. I have a good example of why I believe this. My ex's mother was diagnosed with cancer, and given a few months to live. She was a very faithful Christian, and she believed that the cancer in her was literally a demon sent from Hell. In her mind, that was how she conceived it. Astounding her doctors, she went into remission, eventually being basically cancer-free.
I'm not suggesting that God reached down and preformed a miracle. I'm saying that I believe her ability to put her mind to getting that cancer out of herself was due solely to her incredible faith. We can do really amazing things with this body of ours, but we need tools, we need some
sort of pattern to work with.
What I would suggest is that you look at Christianity a little differently. Rather than look at it as a theology, with all the magic and unexplainables, and look at it as a philosophy. When I did this, a lot of the questions I had about the why's and what's of the religion became much more clear to me. Two things surprised me. One is that, looking at it from the outside, Christianity works equally for the genius and the imbecile. C.S. Lewis was a genius, and the greatest Christian apologist of the 20th Century. Kim Davis seems to be a complete moron, yet she too has found a way to make it work for her. The other thing is that the New testament, where all Christianity comes from, does not contradict itself. ' Love your neighbor ' works with ' work out your own salvation ' which works with ' you who are without sin cast the first stone '.
I never judge someone based on their religion - the only purpose that serves is to drive a wedge between me and them. I do, however, judge people's actions. The way Jimmy Carter practices Christianity is admirable. The way Kim Davis and Pat Robertson and Ted Cruz and and and... practice their faith, it's a wonder anyone outside of their inner circle is safe from Hell.
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