Do yout think religion is control for the masses?

Yes it is.

Religion doesn't "control" anyone. Who would initiate this establishment? The government? If religion existed to control people it would have a central infrastructure. I think we can see that this isn't true because not only are there many religions, but there are also many denominations within those religions. All with different rules and beliefs. This proves that there is no common, central agenda involved with religions other than the interpretation of who God is. From knowing this we are able to deduct that there is no earthly entity behind the establishment of religion.

Though this is not to say that history has not shown us many attempts at this principle. Some powers that be have been known to use religion to corral the behaviors of the masses to bring deviant behavior under the subjection of the king or government or whatever power was ruling at the time. That being said, it is important to note that religion had been established first and these certain rulers were merely playing into the existing social structure formed by religion.

If religion was meant to control the masses, it is the worst tool ever invented. Religion fuels the fires of rebellion, makes people willing to die rather than submit to governmental control, and spreads the most ferociously in the face of persecution. If you want to control people, you need to eliminate religion.

Yes, i think it was intended to do just that when it was created. It's proven to be the most efficient ways to teach values because it installs a fear of something that we cannot control or avoid....hell, god, karma, whatever the case.

Some religions are better than this though and are more about finding peace and harmony with the world. I can say that I don't follow any one religion, but I'd call myself religious in my own way because I believe in a balance in life, and I think we should recognize how our actions can upset this balance. I don't need a book to tell me this or a god to scare me into this because if I open my eyes to the world and the experiences that it gives me, I think I get a pretty good understanding on "the right" way to live.

I think it's inevitable that some people were not raised properly to think this way, and with enough bad seeds, something had to be done to control them. It's too bad we can't figure out a way to teach our youth what religion controls them to do, but does not really make them learn it. They are just following a rulebook. It doesn't come from the heart.

No, I don't think it is a way to control people. I think religion is necessary, it is the structure of our faith.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says "dogmas are lights along the path of faith." This says it very well, they help guide us and show us the way. Religion has a purpose, it is necessary. It shouldn't become more important than God, it should be seen as the vehicle which helps us get where we are going.

Some religions do, yes. Many even do it to make money.

But a religion SHOULD be a group people who simply believe in the same thing and are "united" in a sense.

A religion should NOT be a group of men who want to control their "flock" and threaten them with hellfire in order to put money in the can and bend over.

Religion and politics is a deadly mixture.

Absolutely not. We have the Governement, the court system, and the army and police who carry guns and clubs. They are the ones who control people. They punish the bad guys, and reward the good guys. The purpose of Religion is not control, the purpose of religion is to seek purpose and meaning in life.

no thats cults who use mind control......stick with mainstream Trinity churches....
see this book....Kingdom of the cults or google it

I think religion at times was used to control people or more specifically followers. Its a good way to keep people level minded and teach people how to act and live their lives like decent human beings. But also i believe religion was once used as a way to explain the unexplainable. Creation is a good example. Humans are all curious as to where they came from. If someone comes and knows or claims to know how the world was created, they will follow this person as they may know the answers to other questions. Lutheranism was created after Martin Luther and others were fed up with believes like purgutory and the fact that u could pay money to the church and have less years in purgatory. So really a religion is something people look for for guidence and beliefs in something.

Yes, particularly Christianity uses hell as a way to keep a believer from ever leaving. But I'm not going to be a slave of religion anymore.

Absolutely.