Mirco country Mass effect!!!

The text book definition of politics is the art of applying the application of power. And it is an unfortunate by product that religions produce power. It does this many different ways the most obvious is that it holds in tandem the path to your personal salvation.

    Many requirements many also be asked in return for enlightenment and spiritual comfort. Donations of money, act to show fidelity to the religion, and of course promotion of its tenets above all others in hopes of attracting converts. So it is intrinsic to their very natures that even the most benevolent religious organizations possess power.

  This Power can vary in scale for simple social power over followers to monetary and community influences.

This creates a control factor in which your behavior can be modified, rewarded or punished for good and bad actions in the eyes of your church.

Often times a parishioner fears more the displeasure of his Pastor, Father, High Priestess more so then he would the wrath of his deity.     

And the sad fact is it creates a classicist situation one where your spiritual guide becomes your boss instead of your help.

This is an authority we give our spiritual leaders.

A lot has been said about the separation of church and state. The Desire to keep faith and politics separate however is it possible to keep an innately powerful politic force separate?

  Once any organization has a substantial enough following they begin to effect change. This is true with any organization from the P.T.A to bicker gangs.

The Roman Catholic Church is in my opinion the most glaring example of these principals in action.

 When the pope decrees the Churches view on a subject he is not just a man in a white dress but the earthly voice of the will of the god of that faith and masses upon masses of followers fall in line with what he say for many reasons of their own. Be it trust, fear, or upbringing.

But let us examine for a second some of the actions of the popes.

More recently in our history John Paul II was celebrated as an inclusive pope making attempts to reach out to the worlds Gay and lesbian population. As a result the church had a trickle down effect in which we saw the rise of openly gay Fathers and bishops and some churches with a non judgmental view of its homosexual believers. This increase followed directly after some of the statements made on the subject by John Paul.

However after his death newly elected Pope Benedict countered John Paul’s movements in this direction by publicly condemning Homosexuality.

It would appear as though the earthly voice of god was contradicting its self. (and we all know there are no contradictions in the Catholic faith *Chough chough*)

And this is just one of the far reaching actions in the history of the institution. Lets not forget Pope innocents children’s crusade in which where shipped off weapons in hand to fight for the holy lands against the Muslims.

None of these poor souls ever made it to the front lines, they made one port where caroled by pirates and smugglers and were then sold into slavery.

Other examples are the inquisition where over the history of it more then 9 million women were put to death on witchcraft charges, and the silence and compliance with the genocidal acts of Hitler during the holocaust.

Now I know this might seem like an attack on the Catholic Church but the truth of the matter is no other religious institution has reached the high of power and prevalence as that of the Vatican micro country. With over 80% of the world population being some variety of Catholic the fact that its leader are so human so foul able and so contradictory is not just troubling its down right terrifying.

Imagine for a moment that the holy roman church was in alignment with the beliefs of the radical Muslim Jihadist. No I know it’s a fearful thought but after all they follow the same god as one another separated by slim margins on who delivered the message.

Know knowing that the last pope’s inclusive statements were dismissed and countermanded by his predecessor. You can se how just about any view point can but held by their leader and then given over to the masses. And if the church did hold the beliefs that infidels must die (Like it did in the inquisition and crusades) then it to could Declare the United States an enemy and we would be facing a global power.

For these reasons it is important to depower your Spiritual leaders see them for who they are. Human flawed and no better then anyone else, they have only the power their followers afford them. And regardless any person that hands off their salvation and places it squarely in the hands of another mortal man no matter the color of his clothing or the collar on his shirt is reckless and irresponsible.

While it is very easy to put your salvation on someone else’s door step in the end it is always you that has to face the out come of you actions. We owe it to ourselves to be responsible for our spirits, to do the hard work and to ask the hard questions not of another man, woman or book, but to ourselves.

You can be supported in your faith without being lead. You can be guided without being controlled, if you simply have the courage to face your god by yourself and be responsible for you own spirit.

After all its you soul.