Jay, it's been a while since I've read Marx. And I find no validity to his statements about religion. The fact he was a Jew means nothing to me. Being born a Jew and actually living as a Jew are two very different things.

While Marx is correct, as are you, in that religion has and continues to be abused, that is human nature. However, just because religion can be abused doesn't mean it isn't good for society. Going back to the econimic model, anyone can abuse any economic system. The Communists in Russia destroyed themselves through abuse of their system. America is not in very good shape because our government is abusing the system, with many politicians looking to get rich instead of looking to do their jobs.

My point in singling out one religion, is that I treated your post as a theory. To disprove a theory, (or am I thinking a hypothosis?) there only needs to be one specific example that does not follow the line of thought. It either works on the broad basis, or it doesn't.

<sub>Will Eisner's last work - The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
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"Well, as it happens, I wrote the damned SOP," Illescue half snarled, "and as of now, you can bar those jackals from any part of this facility until Hell's a hockey rink! Is that perfectly clear?!" - Dr. Franz Illescue - Honor Harrington: At All Costs

"I don't know what I'm do, or how I do, I just do." - Alexander Ovechkin</sub>