As the world continues to shrink at an exponential rate due to the increasing accessibility of the internet and global transportation, the idea of organized religion may be something that we as humans need to put behind us. Whether dealing with social issues such as same-sex marriage or issues involving global politics such as the unrest in the Middle East, organized religion is perpetuating intolerance among people of different upbringings and attempting to discredit scientific advancements. The topic has been debated by scholars of scripture, philosophy, and science since the beginnings of religion.
In order to really delve into this topic, this paper is going to distinguish between personal faith and organized religion, address the social and political implications of organized religion, and examine why it’s dangerous to cherry-pick beliefs from Holy Scripture. Ultimately, this paper will argue that organized religion is severely detrimental due to semantics. People who are inherently good will find the good in whatever they practice, and vice versa.