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¿Question #194?
Debate: Organized religion: thumbs up or thumbs down?

ocdspectrum: It can go either way.
pricero1: Thumbs down for me whether it is organised / organized or disorganised / disorganized.
BOBBYCAN: We should debate it here on GQ.
oldhoss: Thumbs up. They work for many, many people. Sure, they can be one-size-fits all and overly dogmatic at times. But as a whole, I think they are a good thing. Just maybe not for me so much.
jgbaxter: Thumbs in their face.
pwilz: Mine or yours?
Woelf: Thumb pointing just slightly up.
Felimid: Down.
the manatee: Down.
imyourskribe: In theory, one thumb firmly planted sideways. Since people are typically in charge of them, thumbs down.
weed131: up
binraix: Religion any kind=thumbs down
Auramine O: If handled right it can be good, like organized crime... wait a minute...
vandemonium: I choose whatever it is you find 100x worse than thumbs down.
Gorgoneion: the one true death
Frubgarde: The biggest con trick ever visited on humanity.
bcooperok: I don't belong to an organized religion. I'm a Methodist.
RoldLampin: Thumbs down. Chaotic religion FTW
xofour: The issue is not as simple as that, but it definitely beats disorganized religion, so I'm going to have to say thumbs-up. (but not wholehearted because there are so many different aspects to be considered.)
Voxen: A toughie. Thumbs up, as long as the dogma isn't contradictory to physical evidence or promotes killing people of other religions.
Numskull: One of each. There are positive and negative aspects.
ricardofo: thumbs up if they are honest people
waza: Isn't it better than disorganised religion?
Diamat: So far down, it's coming back up again.
Geosmores: up
WonderLlama: Down. Not necessarily the concept, but every existing organized religion.
vampywife: Hmm...that's a tough one. I think that too many "organized" religions do not allow for others to differ in faith from a particular branch (i.e. only the Catholics are right, or only the Baptist view is the way to heaven). True, this is person to person, but the "church" as a whole, with the leaders that are revered in said church, are the ones that make the delcarations that religion a is the only way to salvation, so by that reasoning, it is the fault of some organized religions, giving them a thumbs down. If/when people within organized religions can realize that individuals take different paths to enlightenment/salvation/understanding, and allow for that to peacefully happen, I'll give them a thumbs up.
bigbadsteve: maksim answers this one nicely
Brad Oliver: Down.
kingmaker fan: Thumbs up
franklincobb: Up.
aleo09: up
DHEK: I'm indifferent about it. Probably thumbs up if it's non-restrictive. Big thumbs down if it is.
Stas: In most cases... thumbs down.
matthewjhoskins: Thumbs down
Tina and Steve: mostly down
cluegirl: thumbs down!
htp1: up
Beelzebub: Opposable thumbs WAY DOWN!
PsyJam: Thumbs down
ellephai: Down. Way down.
ZiggyZambo: up
SisyphusX: Thumbs down.
Avatar_69: a big thumbs Down. people get stupid when they get involved in religions
philip.dutre: thumbs down
wargamer66: Down, cuts into gaming time
mats-k: Down
MaksimSmelchak: Thumbs up. Many people blame religion for the world's problems and can't see the forest through the trees. It's like blaming the gun instead of the user. Or blaming the fireman equally with the arsonist. Poor logic, reasoning and moral relativism at its' worst. People ought to take responsibility for their actions instead of blaming it on a "idea" or "concept." "Concepts" and "ideas" don't take action. People do.
Helenoftroy: I like things that are organized.
brainrob: Depends on the organisers
Peter Palmer: Religion as opposed to faith = negative
Critical Mass: up
Kazin: Thumbs down.
MK-Ultra71: thumbs down
Janiv: Thumbs up if it's true, thumbs down if it isn't!
mrspank: Thumbs WAY down.
Quest22: thumbs down
confuse_a_cat: "Organized religion" is too difficult of a topic to be given a thumbs up or a thumbs down. You'd have to come up with an objective means to evaluate religions. However, some of the claims are (empirically, at least) unknowable. If I told you that Jesus Christ is the only means to salvation and you disagreed, neither one of us could convince the other with verifiable evidence of this matter. Unless I could open the gates of Heaven and show you that each person in there was saved through Jesus Christ, or while we're there you show me one who got there from some other means, we have scant means of addressing the question to the satisfaction of both of us.
chrisisapimp: up
Gecko23: Thumbs down
flyinghogfish: Bit of both...
noon: two thumbs down
javelin98: Up.
TaliaIsabelle: thumb sideways
GrandpaDave: Neutral
Thedalek: Thumbs sideways.
Lord_Prussian: Thumbs up
2amp: down
puzzleme: Two thumbs down.
Redcap3210: Thumbs Down
scriptorum: I choose to suck on my thumb.
Belash: down
bekudno: Thumbs down
sourwyrm: thumbs sideways, depends on the
Cavedog_pdx: The more organized it is the worse it gets. Religion gets a thumbs up from me, but organized religion does not.
arkibet: I guess up... or there'd be too many people in the store on Sunday mornings.
wyattnoise: Organized Religeon is a political tool
Gamegrunt: Up.
familygaming: Big THUMBS UP! I'm a pastor and Bible teacher, but I wasn't always a Christian...becoming one was the best decision I will ever make.
Windopaene: Way down
Musti: Thumbs down
mandj2001: Thumbs Up
skrutsch: thumbs up for me personally, but I'm not sure about in general.
Sceadeau: Down, way the fuck down
Redneon: Middle finger up.
ejmowrer: Depends. Like almost anything else, it could be a force of good or evil.
kimapesan: My organized religion cut off my thumbs so I couldn't answer that question.
snoozefest: down
Asmoridin: Down. I doubt God cares about how you worship him, so long as it's done.
Abundance of Flowers: At any level larger than local community - thumbs down.
Cal Mac: Down
ginn5j: down
m_r_tyler: Up
kennyb: I second Joel Glidden's comment
DenverWolf: DOWN, DOWN, DOWN!
EndersGame: "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." -G.K. Chesterton
isolated: Depends on which religion and who organized it. Just read the Bible on your own if you can't decide.
toulouse: Down
AlorielLelyn: Thumb sideways. The jury is still out on that one for me.
Oborro: uppers
jimchris: To each his own. Not for me, though.
skelebone: Thumbs down for me, but I don't give a shit what others do so long as they don't force themselves on others.
filnari: thumbs down.
shotokanguy: thumbs (cautiously) up, except for the more literal and fanatical forms, which are thumbs way down
Sideburn: thumbs UP THEIR ASS
Johan: Sorry, you haven't given me enough space to answer that question.
Wernazuma: down
Grimwold: up
GuyHill: down
disclamer: Organized or unorganized it's all just superstitious nonsense.
geberus: middlin
thoia: Whatever, to each his own.
threlicus: Down down down down down.
DangerMouse: Argh, I'd have to give it a tentative thumbs down.
puffinge: way down
Gorski: Depends on the religion and what your needs are
haraggan: Mu
antiussentiment: super monster megga down... you don't need a god to be a good person.
djlg: As long as they keep to themselves, don't care. If they want me to care, then thumbs down.
raolsson: Thumbs up as long as they respect other religions
chaddyboy_2000: Thumbs up to Christianity, no matter what denomination of it you practice.
Ludocrazy: Thumb sideways
jens_hoppe: It's not for me, but it does seem to fit well with basic human nature...
BobDodgerBlue: Up
Shakar: Down all the way.
djflippy: Not for me, but you go, girl.
queequeg: up
Blackwind: down..big down.
Nomadik: Way Up
kunnagh: Up
JeremyVS: Thumbs Up
tragicpoet: Knees down, thumbs up their... you get the gist.
berserkley: thumbs up, followers: thumbs way down
Friendless: down down down
Skyjack: UP
janiera: Depends on how organized.
Jim_P: Down
viogression: As long as they leave me the hell alone, I don't really care.
Fawkes: Thumbs squarely in the middle. Works for some, doesn't for others.
bbenston: Thumbs down, way down.
jmglidden: Religion is between you and God. Anything further is about someone who wants your money.
Bearcat89: Minus the dogma...you bet.
CDRodeffer: What does your asking this question say about you?
Xlyce: thumbs sideways
EYE of NiGHT: OOOh tricky one. As an aetheist, I'm disappointed not to have an organised Church Of Humanity to celebrate Nature, Evolution and the joys of being alive. I don't get to congregate, to sing songs, to join in celebration. Church-goers live longer, healthier
EvilTimmy: way down
nix342: thumbs up
coolio: Thumbs Up
MikeMKH: Thumbs up
shumyum: Not for me, but it clearly works for others.
louiseh: Down (down, deeper and down)
dietevil: thumbs down (but I respect a person's choice to participate as long as they refrain from trying to convert me)
jdroscha: thumbs down
ValJor: Any religion: thumbs down
PopeBrain: thumbs down
ynnen: Thumbs way up -- and even higher up for folks who personalize their religion beyond the organized norms
CortexBomb: Thumbs down. I have no problem with people who are spiritual or religious, but organising it has led to more problems than it's worth IMO
mdp4828: way down
netfilterz: Big thumbs down
Geosphere: Conceptually, up. Reality, down.
mnvalente: I really think, and am more convinced everyday, that organized religion is the source of most of mankind problems. THUMBS DOWN!
WasQ: down
TD2008YDS: Thumbs up, most of the time.
sumo: Down
Jon_1066: Big down
gnomehome: Everybody hurts sometimes.
MisterCranky: Thumbs down. If you really need a bunch of zipperheads to tell you what to believe, you need look no further than the 'geek.
Sandman1973: Thumbs down
Flyspeck23: Thumbs down.
Debate: thumbs down
Septic: down, way down. But some mothers do have 'em.
jttm: Down