The criticism of religion includes criticism of the concept of religion itself, criticism of the practice of religion, and criticism of the consequences of religion on humanity as a whole. The singular word religion is used here referring to the concept of religion, rather than a particular religion or any group of religions. This page is about criticism of religion in general, as opposed to criticism of any specific religion.

Social construct

One criticism of religion is the proposition that religion is a social construct and thus is just another human ideology. Under this view, the origins of religion lies in human beings and human societies, not in the intervention of some divine being or cosmic truth. Accordingly religions generally include information about their own origins that is not true.

In particular religion is syncretic, and is in denial of its syncretism.

Irrationality

Religion often promotes beliefs in irrational superstitions, and will frequently defend itself by opposing rational and enquiring thought. Often this is done by passing laws against blasphemy, and by demanding that religious beliefs are shown greater respect than other beliefs. The idea that rational reasoning is not relevant to religious beliefs is known as Fideism.

Intellectual confinements

Another criticism is that religion restricts thought. When religion purports to offer a complete answer to problems of purpose, morality, origins or science, it inevitably discourages exploration of those areas, and thereby denies its followers a broader perspective, and prevents progress.

Also many religions actively discourage lateral thinking or 'doubting'. Many religious individuals believe that 'life is a test', where they are constantly under siege from an evil supernatural entity ( aka the devil ) who is constantly trying to lure them away from their god into eternal torment. This view of the world makes people very wary of ideas and experiences outside of their religion and actively or passively can cause them to lead a very narrow existence.

Dogmatism

Religion typically involves the exercise of religious authority over the beliefs and actions of the individual. Religious authorities tend to be dogmatic, for a number of reasons:

• because they must maintain the plausibility of the claim that their knowledge is timeless,
• because they
  
  
  
  generally believe that the most reliable source of knowledge was given in the past,
• because systems of preferment tend to reward dogmatism
• because free thinking is feared as something that will undermine belief.

Arbitrary restrictions

Many religions impose arbitrary restrictions on followers, regarding what they must or must not say, eat, drink; whom they may marry, and so forth. Involvement in rituals, fasting, pilgrimages is often required or encouraged. Such pointless restrictions advance no ethical ends, and undermine the dignity of the free human being.

Eschatologically Irresponsible

Another criticism of religion is that it has a tendency to focus on the end of the world, the spirit, or the next life, and consequently causes negligence of this world. Critics claim this creates an indifference to injustice, environmental destruction, and other remediable ills.

Moral deficiency

Critics claim dogmatic religions are typically morally deficient, elevating to moral status lots of ancient and ill-informed rules that may have been designed for reasons of hygiene, politics, or other reasons in a different era. People who break these rules are often condemned and victimised even though they have done no harm to anyone.

Religious institutions typically claim special knowledge of absolute morality, and invoke this to hinder debates on many issues such as stem cell research and voluntary euthanasia. By taking a deontological view of morality, they refuse to consider the consequences of their hard line positions and thereby cause more suffering than necessary.

Many recognised evils, such as domestic violence, sexism and slavery have enjoyed much support from religious leaders in the past, on the grounds that they were supported by doctrine.

All theistic religion devalues human compassion and morality. For a principled atheist these are the foremost concern. For a religious person obedience of a deity/scripture is morality and conscience takes second place. The most widely known example of this is the order to murder Issac. The Bible contains many injunctions against following ones conscience over scripture. Also, positive actions are supposed to originate not from compassion, but from the fear of punishment

Narcissism

Every religion considers its teachings or relevations to be that which is the closest to the universal truths and that of other religions to be further away (than itself) from the truths, and often in direct contradiction to them.

Liberal traditions tend to regard all faiths as valuable, and even valid in some undefined sense, but maintaining the superiority of their own. Fundamentalist traditions tend to identify other faiths with whatever manifestation of evil is recognized in their own, e.g. fundamentalist Christians sometimes see other religions as the products of Satan.

Opium of the people

Religious suffering



is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. Karl Marx

Marx believed religion to be a social construct, and furthermore, that religion is harmful to humanity because it dissuades the oppressed masses from actively pursuing a solution to their earthly problems as religion promises that the faithful shall receive a heavenly reward in their afterlife. Marx also believed that the desire for religious belief is in response to alienation or inadeqacy in material life, and cannot be eliminated until human material life is emancipated, at which point desire for religion will naturally wither away.

Religion is a tool utilized by the ruling classes whereby the masses can momentarily relieve their suffering via the act of experiencing religious emotions. It is in the interest of the ruling classes to instil in the masses the religious conviction that their current suffering will lead to eventual happiness. Therefore as long as the public believes in religion, they will not attempt to make any genuine effort to understand and overcome the real source of their suffering.

Religion is the opium of the people because:

• it provides momentary relief from pain but it could not eliminate the source of the pain.
• it induces fantasies of a better life in heaven.

In this perspective, Marx saw religion as escapism.

The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo. - Marx

Marxists also view the Christian doctrine of original sin as being deeply anti-social in character. Original sin, they argue, convinces people that the source of their misery lies in the inherent and unchangeable "sinfulness" of humanity rather than in the forms of social organization and institutions which, marxists argue, can be changed through the application of collective social planning.

Authoritarian

The term "authoritarian" is used to describe an organization, an institution or a state that enforces strong and sometimes oppressive measures against those within its sphere of influence, generally without any attempts at gaining their consent and often not allowing negative feedback on its policies.

The degree in which a religion is authoritarian can be estimated by

• How much influence the religion laws has on the laws of the land.
• How heretics are tolerated.
• How apostates are treated.
• How unbelievers are treated.

Religions tend to increase their influence over the community by first seeking the patronage of the ruling elite. Once such patronage has been secured, a religion may seek to influence the politics of the land, with the ultimate goal of having the religious laws passed as the law of the land.

In this sense, religion can be seen as authoritarian, in so far as its goal is to define itself as "the ultimate authority by which law of the land is granted." As this divine source of authority is not to be criticised by non-religious arguments, it is the antithesis to secularism. A country where the above has been achieved is called a theocracy.

Political opposition

Some people, such as proponents of Anarchism and those with libertarian beliefs, object to religion on principle because they view the authoritarian nature of most religions to be an affront to the ideals of democracy and equality. They are offended by the dogma of the rules and doctrine of an entirely man-made (as they see it) and non-democratic institution such as the Christian church.

Religious wars

One of the worst results of religious beliefs in the world seems to be the phenomenon of religious wars. Some argue that these are mostly caused by misinterpretations of the relevant religions' ethical rules. However, the tendency for religious war can also be attributed to the frequency with which heretics and infidels are considered to be evil, and to the power of religion to reinforce tribal identity and encourage ignorance of outsiders. These conflicts are among the most difficult to resolve, particularly where both sides consider that God is on their side and has endorsed the moral righteousness of their claims. Furthermore, where God is credited with creating morality, he can be considered to have the power to allow or demand exceptions. This may result in holy warriors committing atrocities in the name of their deity. Finally, a focus on their "next life" may encourage soldiers to take a willing part in war, and to risk their present lives with greater abandon.

See also

• Anthropology of religion
• Antireligion
• Antitheism
• Atheism
• Deism
• Folk religion
• Philosophy of religion
• Psychology of Religion
• Rationalism
• Religion
• Sociology of Religion
• Supernatural
• Theology

Specific religions

• Criticism of Christianity
• Criticism of Hinduism
• Criticism of Islam
• Criticism of Judaism
• Criticism of Mormonism
• Criticism of Prem Rawat
• Scientology controversy