Religion serves a much-wanted purpose. It's as plain as that. The fact that religion — all religion — is a divisive, nonsensical, controlling, and manipulating enterprise is of little importance to the follower. Truth doesn't matter at all; it's just an annoying obstacle.
I would argue that all religions are cults that have stood the test of time. As such they act as the elephant in the room. We all know they are a ball of contradictions and absurdities, yet society indulges them as if they were upstanding, righteous institutions.
You wrote: "a religion will require its initiates to shatter their intellectual integrity by deferring to the religious leaders’ claptrap." So true. As with all cults, the follower must surrender his common sense and integrity to be affiliated with religion. It's a big childish game of pretend — pretend that it makes sense, pretend that it is valuable, pretend that there is fact where there is only fantasy and confusion.
But, alas, religion serves a purpose that we just cannot seem to escape. It makes people feel special and secure. This is more important to people than facts and good sense. More than 40 years ago I learned my lesson never to argue with anyone about religion. It's like talking to a machine that just spews out ridiculous and unfounded retorts and non sequiturs wrapped up in circular logic. Only there's really no logic.
When it comes to the three main western religions, at least, it is absolutely necessary to ignore portions of the holy books if you want to be a part of a sane and just society. This means a follower must remain in conflict and denial. When God tells you you must stone someone to death, including your children or whomever because they do not accept the teachings, then you've got quite the decision to make regarding how to integrate an insane, barbaric, and violent teaching into your life and actions.
When people speak of the beauty of their religion they must certainly ignore the ugliness that glaringly sits alongside it..
To the logical, sensible, sensitive, curious mind, religion is an absurdity. There is no other way to look at it. So we have to probe deeper and look at why people participate in it. The "why" has nothing to do with good sense; it has to do with good feelings and an attempt to control the uncontrollable.
