Religious institutions focus on self preservation

From Religions Wiki

Generally speaking, religious institutions focus on self preservation and expedient rather than moral action. This is part of the overall moral failure of mainstream religion.

"Religions [...] spring from nonrational inspirations yet generally develop a concern for institutionalized practices and roles, self-preservation and expansion.[1]"
"There’s a tendency among priests to hypostasize the priesthood. Being a priest is thought to bestow a certain dignity and grace on a person, and that grace objectively must be safeguarded. The world is objectively better off with more priests than less. So, even if a man is totally corrupt, the idea is that he’s still a priest, and that must be held onto at all costs. [2]"
"Religious leaders are basically politicians, and secular politicians also seem to find it impossible to apologise or admit error. But religious politicians are committed to ideals that fly in the face of this idolatry.[3]"

Examples[edit]

  • Covering up child abuse with a conspiracy of silence. [4]
  • Not speaking out against government wrong doing
    • Pius XII did not openly oppose the Nazi Party during World War 2, partly because of their influence in Italy.
  • Condemning reformers to prevent schism
  • Denying recognition of offspring from supposedly celibate priests. [3]
  • Covering up fraud and banking irregularities
    • The Vatican Bank has been involved in many cover ups. [6][7][8]
  • Covering up kidnap and murder
    • Disappearance of Miss Orlandi in 1983 [9]
  • Harassment, kidnapping and murder used to silence enemies
  • Abuse of a religion's own adherents to maintain discipline

Counter arguments[edit]

Ends justify the means[edit]

It is arguably that if a religious institution survives, it can do greater good at a later date.

Self selection[edit]

Religious institutions that currently exist probably have this attribute because those that did not ceased to exist.

References[edit]

  1. Scott Mainwaring, The Catholic Church and Politics in Brazil, 1916-1985
  2. [1]
  3. 3.0 3.1 Karen Armstrong, Cover-ups and clutter have tainted religion, September 26, 2003
  4. [2]
  5. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/15/anglican-leaders-statement-on-marriage-disappoints-liberals]
  6. [3]
  7. [4]
  8. [5]
  9. [6]
  10. 10.0 10.1 [7]