Elton John says religion should be banned

[Tater Tot]

© APElton John
Elton John: Religion Encourages Hatred
Nov 11, 7:00 PM EST


The Associated Press
LONDON -- Organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias, pop star Elton John said in an interview published Saturday.
"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people," John said in the Observer newspaper's Music Monthly Magazine. "Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."
"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."
John also criticized religious leaders for failing to do anything about conflicts around the world.
"Why aren't they having a conclave? Why aren't they coming together?"
John said those in his own field have been similarly lax.
"It's like the peace movement in the '60s. Musicians got through to people by getting out there and doing peace concerts, but we don't seem to do them any more," he said. "If John Lennon were alive today, he'd be leading it with a vengeance."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT
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I gotta agree with Elton here.

[JamieElizabeth]

^^ But there are a lot children who need organized religion to feel that they are a part of 'their' greater community, and to the world-at-large. What if Elton is just being immature by leaving this out by forgetting what the traditional model really does?

I found more to this article that I am going to add.
"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. But there are so many Christian people I know who are gay and love their religion. From my point of view I would ban religion completely, even though there are some wonderful things about it. I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday school and I collected all the little stickers and put them in my book. But the reality is that organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate. The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion? Why aren't they having a conclave; why aren't they coming together? I said this after 9/11 and people thought I was nuts: instead of more violence why isn't there a [meeting of religious leaders]. It's all got to be dialogue - that's the only way. Get everybody from each religion together and say 'Listen, this can't go on. Why do we have all this hatred?' We are all God's people; we have to get along and the [religious leaders] have to lead the way. If they don't do it, who else is going to do it? They're not going to do it and it's left to musicians or to someone else to deal with it. It's like the peace movement in the Sixties - musicians got through [to people] by getting out there and doing peace concerts but we don't seem to do them any more. We seem to be doing fundraisers for Africa and everything like that but I think peace is really important. If John Lennon were alive today he'd be leading it with a vengeance."
- Elton John tells the Observer Music Monthly in this amazing new interview with Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters
http://perezhilton.com/

Yes, I think a lot of this is true, but music can only encompass so many people, children, and bridge so many gaps. And eventually the artist can become something like a pope, that's obviously what he doesn't want.

[ediebrooks]

Elton John is so outspoken. I like that.

[Pandora]

He is right. Intolerance goes against all the teachings of Christ. What does that make of organized religions then?

Yesterday, I was talking to one of my students, and he said some things seem absurd, but have a reason. Like the Roman Catholic church for example: after all the wars, and men hooking up with men while their wives were away at home, the church had to find a way of keeping family units together in order to reproduce and make the population grow. Gay rejection come from way back then. It had a reason and purpose at the time, but now it doesn't make sense anymore, so it should just be dropped. If religion was adapted to the people's needs back then, why can't it be adapted to today's reality? Preaching tolerance, love and respect should be the very first thing to be done.

[JamieElizabeth]

Originally Posted by Pandora

He is right. Intolerance goes against all the teachings of Christ. What does that make of organized religions then?

Yesterday, I was talking to one of my students, and he said some things seem absurd, but have a reason. Like the Roman Catholic church for example: after all the wars, and men hooking up with men while their wives were away at home, the church had to find a way of keeping family units together in order to reproduce and make the population grow. Gay rejection come from way back then. It had a reason and purpose at the time, but now it doesn't make sense anymore, so it should just be dropped. If religion was adapted to the people's needs back then, why can't it be adapted to today's reality? Preaching tolerance, love and respect should be the very first thing to be done.

That's a very intelligent response, and I am with you all the way on that one Pandora! But what if these changes DO in effect create the wars and the suffering, in order to facilatate the change. How does one "ride-the-tide", and sort of just adapt to it all of it? I mean, a person has to have their rooting and beliefs grounded somewhere and /or with someone, I'd suspect?

[nana55]

I totally agree with Elton (check my "byline") more death and hatred have been done in the name of religion than anything else.

[Grimmlok]

If we got rid of religion, humans would just find a new way to be bigoted assholes.. i'm betting extreme nationalism would rise again to replace it.

[JamieElizabeth]

Originally Posted by nana55

I totally agree with Elton (check my "byline") more death and hatred have been done in the name of religion than anything else.

Yes, it is difficult to accept that much of the world is organised in this way then?

[Pandora]

Originally Posted by JamieElizabeth

That's a very intelligent response, and I am with you all the way on that one Pandora! But what if these changes DO in effect create the wars and the suffering, in order to facilatate the change. How does one "ride-the-tide", and sort of just adapt to it all of it? I mean, a person has to have their rooting and beliefs grounded somewhere and /or with someone, I'd suspect?

The thing is that these old concepts ended up persisting on modern religion and change will never happen. Wars and suffering will go on because there's a general sense of seeing religion as a golden rule, even if that means leading to acts that go against all principles that are the basis of the religious structure. People shouldn't stick to a blind following of anything they're rooted on. Sure, some do need a to have their beliefs rooted on something, but do need to use common sense as well as far as actions go.

[JamieElizabeth]

^^Even if it means their own personal defeat? Take Bush, for example? He is very relentless in what he believes.

[Pandora]

^ Bush's actions have more to do with power and greed under the guise of "religion". The term only serves to justify wrong doing.

[DitaPage*]

Humans are always going to be assholes; religion or no religion.

[Mavado]

^^True, but how many ppl have already died and are currently dying because of different religious beliefs?

[WickedHo]

We don't need to get rid of religion. And no matter how distrustful I am of organized religion, I still wouldn't want to see it disappear, because then we'd have nothing to worship but The Almighty Dollar (or, wait, thanks to Dubya, The Almighty Euro), and THAT would be far far faaaaar more dangerous a world to live in.

No need to throw the baby out with the bath water. Keep the baby, change the water.

[AgentOrange]

He's just confirming everything that Rush Limbaugh says about gays!

Instead of knockingorganized religion, why doesn't he defend himself against certain sccurilous statements made about him by Boy George??