Does organised religion have a useful social function?

And I beseech thee to try living their lifestyle for five minutes. Tribal groups tend to average between seven and eleven adults, not enough to promote televangelism or produce high tech.

 

That's no answer.

 

Nor is begging the question.

 

"I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Sakyans. Now there is a Sakyan town named Sakkara. There Venerable Ananda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One, "This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie."
"Don't say that, Ananda. Don't say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life. When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & comrades, he can be expected to develop & pursue the noble eightfold path."

"And how does a monk who has admirable people as friends, companions, & comrades, develop & pursue the noble eightfold path? There is the case where a monk develops right view dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. He develops right resolve... right speech... right action... right livelihood... right effort... right mindfulness... right concentration dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. This is how a monk who has admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues, develops & pursues the noble eightfold path."

"And through this line of reasoning one may know how admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life: It is in dependence on me as an admirable friend that beings subject to birth have gained release from birth, that beings subject to aging have gained release from aging, that beings subject to death have gained release from death, that beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair have gained release from sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. It is through this line of reasoning that one may know how admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life."
Upaddha Sutta

Organized religion can have a useful social function, in that a faith community can provide the guidance, encouragement and support to enable someone to pursue "the holy life". That is why the community of faith; the Sangha, is one of the Three Treasures of Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote that sangha is so important that he doubts someone in isolation can maintain their practice for long, so he encourages folk if they can't find a spiritual community to glom onto, to create one.

Of course, there's an inverse to the Upaddha Sutta:
"Should a seeker not find a companion who is better or equal, let him resolutely pursue a solitary course; there is no fellowship with the fool."
Dhammapada 61

 

what it serves might well be served without it. but then if it were, whatever serves it, might well then be called the same thing.

preventing yourself from doing extremely inconsiderate things, has nothing to do with anyone telling someone else what to pretend.
it has more to do with not wanting to live in a world or a universe, where inconsiderate things are commonly done.
we all influence each other by our own example, whether we are aware of doing so or not.

i have not found the unhappiness others speak of, following the solitary course that i have.
nor have i followed that course by comparing myself to others, but rather entirely by not doing so.

 

There seem to be plenty of unsophisticated Christians in fear-based religions who have no real moral compass and make messes of their lives. Think of pedophile priests. Humans seem to have an amazing capacity for denial, rationalization, and fixating on the mote in their brother's eye while ignoring the log that is in their own eye..

 

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

 

In too many instances, "organized religion" all too often drifts away from the "sacred", and, instead, gets far too involved in politics and what people are doing, in private, in their bedrooms.

Meaning NO disrespect whatsoever to ANY denomination, a person does not NEED to actively participate in any given religion, if he believes in "The Big Man" high up above us in the celestial penthouse, and, also, treats his religion and beliefs on a PERSONAL level, between him and his Maker, then THAT is what MATTERS.

I do not claim to be the most religious man in the world, BUT, what "religion" I DO have, is something that I regard as personal between myself and "The Big Man Upstairs"........