Some religious-sects require control, very strict adherence and do not tolerate opposing views or even a lot of questions. One that comes to mind is Jehovah's Witnesses and the other is the Mormons. Others, like the Unitarian Universalists, are tolerant, welcome freedom of thought and belief, or even lack of belief. I'm sure there are many more examples, but those come to mind for me. So my answer is that it depends on the sect.

First thought - yes.

Second thought - but is it religion that is controlling? I rather think that it is the adherents who place their own interpretation on things and will not allow others to interpret for themselves that are the controlling forces.

If one needs religion, one needs religion. I do not regret my conventional religious upbringing, it gave me cause to consider that there is more to life than what the eye can see.

I did come to a point where what the priest/pastor was telling me was not what I believed was true, and it did take some considerable anguish to break free from the mold. But that made me stronger.

I think any religion can be manipulated and used to controll the masses but at some point and time when you grow up or sometimes before you start to ask questions within your self and when you don't get the right answers you will ask more questions and when you don't receive the right answers than you will move on to other religions searching for answers to questions you have asked. Until you find the answers that just seem to click with you within you and your soul.

Now the word controll has been going on for a very long time by the ones in higher authority seeking to control the masses to obtain greater wealth and a larger army of warriors and servants to serve the higher ones of authority reguardless who they may be. That is how it is most of the time.

But there is usually always someone who breaks loose from the chains of brain washing and start thinking for them selves and discovring answers to questions they have ask.

Always seeks God and Jesus and aline our selves with them and become a better self through our spiritual journey and those we may meet along the way.

The first "religion" of the world was shamanism, and still exists all over the world in many cultures. The shaman of a tribe provided many essential functions that ensured the survival of the tribe: healing the sick, using distance-seeing to find game; celebrating a kill and blessing the animals who gave their lives to feed the tribe; and so on. Shamanism did not "control the masses"- the tribe was devastated when their shaman died or was killed accidentally- thus the system included teaching of acolytes so that the valuable knowledge of the shaman would be passed on to the next generation.

The Roman Catholic Church, unfortunately, used its power wrongly, especially during the Inquisition. This, I think is where this idea of the "opiate of the masses" came from. The Church held enough power to control the ascension of kings and queens to their thrones, and taught what Wade referred to in his answer.

I think today, people are more and more questioning religion, and are moving towards a general spirituality that is slowly gaining momentum. If you look in any large bookstore, there are any number of books about spirituality apart from any one religion. People are seeking answers, and are looking for their answers independently of any one church.

No, I do not agree with the thesis statement. I think people here in the USA, at least, are questing for their own answers and beliefs.

Blessings, Jai

I do believe that modern religion has a significant social engineering function, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing. In my experience, people who take the time and trouble to belong to and get involved with a church tend to be more polite, more trustworthy, and generally happier than those who don't.

Many people go to church for the same reasons they participate in any other social function; they like associating with people who have similar goals and beliefs. This cultural framework allows them to discuss issues from a common perspective, and provides a framework for understanding common ethical dilemmas, and acting on them in a sensible way.

In the aerospace industry there is a strong culture of safety; it is woven deeply into the fabric of everything they do. You could almost say it's a religion. Flight research is a dangerous endeavor; it requires taking risks, and venturing into the unknown. But that doesn't mean that these researchers throw caution to the wind, nor does their culture of safety preclude them from taking any risks at all. Rather, those risks are taken within a framework that insures that unnecessary risks are identified, and minimized as much as possible.

Religious and moral frameworks are much like that, when they are used properly. They allow us freedom within sensible limits.

So, contrary to the popular stereotype, not everyone who goes to church is a non-thinking, brainwashed drone. Those who go to church, but still know how to think, measure their life against their practice of faith to see how they can get better at doing both.

If you answer a question with its written in the >insert religious text here < would be a sign of control and to refuse to accept questions about your faith as also control.I reflect back to Bill Mayers film "Religious" and then again to think that your sports team was the center of the universe is also control. so there are those that sit in church and those that sit on the sofa both are controlled

I believe religion through well wishing intentions inadvertently affect the thought process of many of minds of people that go to the churches. For example telling you of your power over Satan which is a good thing of course, we are all powerful over negative to be able to rebuke it. However in the next breath you are also told you have to be on the watch because the devil is everywhere and tricky, he'll make you sick, he'll teach you wrong things, he'll lead you away from God, he'll make you mad, he'll make you sad, he'll even make you bad etc...

So now this "have no fear of the devil you are all powerful over it, it is nothing compared to Christ and God", now becomes fear of this devil, is he here, is he there, is he everywhere? Is this thing I'm learning evil and the devil, opps my nose is running the devil must be attacking me, should I stay away from this newage store is the devil there??? It scares and stifles someone that really just wanted to be happy, now this person is highly cautious!

It gives adults a new Santa Claus complex, instead of as children you better watch out, you better not pout, Santa is watching you! Now it is as adults you better watch out you better not pout God is watching you and the Devil is after you! That childhood fear of constantly being watched over and having every "bad thing" written down to be used against us not in a court of law but of our very soul, also without any guide lines for what is wrong and what is right other than the obvious can lead to being very controlling.

This control can be of the self on the least harmful but in a state of panic and mass conscious hysteria of fear can lead to the inquisitions or the Salem witch trials both involved horrible tortures and ending in gruesome deaths that the people felt was justified for the perceived evil that they believed of these people.

That is why I agree with my church in ways but others not so because I don't want to walk in fear of every little thing possibly being Satanic influence, even though I am told through Christ I can easily say devil be gone from me now!

Mass religions are true businesses, to me.

organized religon..absolutely!!!

Only a couple of religions are designed to control the masses. Please search what I am about to say, as it is important for many to understand. Christianity is free will, it is up to us to decide if we want to Trust in Jesus. As a matter of fact, if you look at it from this perspective: GOD - an intelligent, compassionate, inter-dimensional spiritual being came into the HUMAN being existence to be a part of us. That is the definition of Emanuel, the name prophesized by Isaiah in the bible, which means "GOD is WITH US". He became a part of our conscious experience, but only for those who believe and trust in him. If you do not want to not one is pushing you to. On the contrary, religions the Muslim and Islam faith will try to force their belief on the world through terror, torture or any method needed. In Islam is ok in their religion to lie and deceive as long as it promotes their religion. The word for that is called "Taqiyya". It is ok for muslins to say words, though untrue as long as it promotes and advances islam. This religion is actually a political control system, "Veiled" inside a religion. Being that in their religion it is ok for them to lie to non Muslim's, then it is hard to trust any actively practicing Muslim. Even the peaceful "looking" ones may not be what they seem, of course I am not promoting to treat them poorly in any way. Actions always speak louder than words, it is easy to see how they feel. Do they condemn the extremists or just sit idly by? Some are trapped and have become a slave in way and therefor I invite them and all people of any faith to know Jesus. Interesting fact, the Prophet Mohammed never did a single miracle, he never healed anyone or brought anyone back from the dead or casted out a demon. All real prophets in the bible did many miracles, it was proof they were from the true God.

Deuteronomy 18:20-22(ESV) 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or[a] who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' 21 And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?'-- 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

If you read the Koran, Sharia and Bukhari in the correct order, it is like an instructional manual on how to enslave the world through sacred deceit, so be on the look-out. This is what they are to do: 1) When a muslim first arrives, they are to announce that islmam is a brother religion to Christianity and Judaism 2) They are to start dialogue and bridge building with the media and local community. 3) They claim that western civilization is actually based on Islam's golden age and we have a lot in common 4) After every relaxes and these changes and lies have been accepted, the deception is really about to start. 5) Now they start to request changes to accommodate their faith. Eventually they become demands. 6) They start to use the first amendment against article 6 of the constitution (that states the US constitution is the highest law of the land).
7) Anyone who resists are labeled islamophobes, racists, are anything to put pressure on them. 8) According to the Koran, the Sharia law is to be taken as the highest law of the land, so their agenda is to put everyone under Sharia law. 9) Finally they resort to violence and once some of their laws are on the books they can use fear tactics to continue their political control ideology.

Search out truth and the internet. Ignorance any type of political control ideology will not stop it from happening so be alert.

Read this too: Daniel 12:10(ESV) 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.

John 3:20 (ESV) 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

1 John 4:1-5(ESV) 4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

religion have been made by some people seeking their own glory they used true testimony that they could not understand to make benefit the collective and benefit from the collective. it is not bad in itself since many people are not all at the same stage of understanding. and even some message of truth that where not well understand or twisted to serve their perpace still have some good in them giving you knowledge and understanding. so yes religion is serving as a tutor to guide the people or the masses. in this world many need guidance.

it is even written in the bible.

1 Corinthians 3:2

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere human beings?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

if you continue to read up you will get to the meat.

1 Corinthians 3:16

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

and then you have this passage that warn you to not think of your self as wise by the standard of this ages in the one you live in this world.

1 Corinthians 3:18

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become "fools" so that you may become wise.

many time those that think they are wise are fools and those that people think they are fool are the wise one.

any how stop doing inequity between your self and other; do you not know that as you judge you will also be judge because they do the same? so use the time imparted to you wisely and let the children grow until the last day.

will also say that religion is for the masse since it is between many people on the outside but for the solitary that will seek the truth with all their heart and do the inside work and make a pure heart and a pure mind in accordance to the spirit of truth they will be born again of water and the spirit.

Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not realize that he who made the inside is the same one who made the outside?"

in this way it can serve both perpace the outside and inside one.

Let there be light , be the light that you can be, experience and enjoy.