To day around the world there are glaringly obvious, brutally glaringly obvious, examples of why we should never allow religious groups to hold power. In Afghanistan we have the Taliban who enforce savage punishment on all and sundry from removing a persons hand to forbidding women to be educated. In Iran we have the Mullahs who preside of a regime that can accept young women being beaten to death for not covering their hair in the Mullah's desired fashion and kills and executes those who dare to oppose this insanity of religious dogma. Then there is Israel, with this insane belief that about 2,000 years or so ago, God gave them all the land that was Palestine and they have that god given right to take it all back no matter how much suffering or how many deaths this takes. In this country, the UK, the state still pays homage to the religious dictators that hold sway over millions of ordinary people trying to channel the public's thoughts along the strict dictate of their chosen God. All religions claim to be followers of a loving God of peace, but all religions have blood soak history they all have killed and will again, they'll kill those who dare to oppose them. The world is soaked in blood from religious wars, and it still divides the people of the world. Freedom, peace and justice cannot coexists with religion.
The UK state hands 26 seats in the House of Lords to bishops of the Church of England. These planted members can and do vote on legislation, make interventions, but also they lead prayers at the beginning of each day's sessions. This puts UK on a par with the Islamic Republic of Iran, as the only two states on the planet that give clerics of the established religion automatic seats in the legislatures, where they can vote and shape legislation.
The UK state hands 26 seats in the House of Lords to bishops of the Church of England. These planted members can and do vote on legislation, make interventions, but also they lead prayers at the beginning of each day's sessions. This puts UK on a par with the Islamic Republic of Iran, as the only two states on the planet that give clerics of the established religion automatic seats in the legislatures, where they can vote and shape legislation.
Some of the religious conflicts that have soaked our planet in blood, taken from Andrew Holt, Ph.D.'s article, "Religion and the 100 Worst Atrocities in History"
"Taiping Rebellion- 20,000,000 Deaths (Rank- 6th)
Thirty Years War- 7,500,000 Deaths (Rank 17th)
Madhi Revolt- 5,500,000 (Rank 21st)
Crusades (in the East)- 3,000,000 Deaths (Rank- 30th)
French Wars of Religion- 3,000,000 Deaths (Rank 30th)
War in the Sudan- 2,600,000 (Rank 35th)
Albigensian Crusade- 1,000,000 Deaths (Rank- 46th)
Panthay Rebellion- 1,000,000 Deaths (Rank 46th)
Hui Rebellion- 640,000 Deaths (Rank 66th)
Partition of India- 500,000 (Rank 70th)
Cromwell’s Invasion of Ireland- 400,000 Deaths (Rank 81st)"
So it should be obvious that this is a very toxic mix, capitalism, state and religion, none of these entities offer freedom of thought or action, all of them are authoritarian and will always stand against the free expression of thoughts and deeds. To hold onto their power they need obedience from the "flock". Do we wish to be a "flock", do we need a shepherd. If we desire freedom and justice for all we have to smash these authoritarian establishments, whose foundations are power, privilege and a subservient population, and their aim is to hold on to those, privileges and that power and enhance their wealth.
