In Defense of Organized Religion

Recently a really good friend of mine referred me to a statement by Phillip Pullman. I feel like there was a lot of truth to it but it also has some surprising oversights. Here is the statement:


"The religious impulse – which includes the sense of awe and mystery we feel when we look at the universe, the urge to find a meaning and a purpose in our lives, our sense of moral kinship with other human beings – is part of being human, and I value it. I'd be a damn fool not to.
But certain forms of organized religion are quite another thing. The trouble is that all too often in human history, churches and priesthoods have set themselves up to rule people's lives and done terrible damage. In the name of their god, they have burned, hanged, tortured, maimed, robbed, violated, and enslaved millions of their fellow-creatures, and done so with the happy conviction that they were doing the will of God, and they would go to Heaven for it.
THAT is the religion I hate, and I'm HAPPY to be known as its enemy."
"The rise of fundamentalist religion I think, is the most dangerous aspect of late twentieth-century life, whether it is intolerance among Christians or Muslims or Orthodox Jews. I think fundamentalist religion is one of the greatest dangers we have ever faced…What makes a religion fundamentalist is the insistence that because of some book of scriptures or some revelation given to the founder of the religion, that they alone possess 'the truth.' And when anyone believes that, they're wrong."
"I think my position would be that throughout human history, the greatest moral advances have been made by religious leaders such as Jesus and the Buddha. And the greatest moral wickedness has been perpetrated by their followers. How many millions of people have been killed in the name of this religion or that one? Burnt, hanged, tortured. It's just extraordinary."

I feel like this statement has some definite truth, but also some serious oversights, which is what makes it so confusing. First of all: yes, horrible things have been done in the name of religion. But corruption can be slipped into religion and followers can be misled because, just like this article, there is a lot of truth, and little falsities. It is that lie covered by 100 truths that destroys lives. It is individuals that use the truth to justify little falsities and of these falsities is what can be catastrophic.
Does this corruption within members of religion mean that all "churches and priesthoods have set themselves up to rule people's lives" as Pullman says? No way! It is people with agency, not religion itself that causes this corruption. Most churches are not set up to “rule peoples lives,” but to do good. It is not religion at all that we should "hate," but the sins that people use religion as a justification for.
Claiming that fundamentalist religions say that "they alone possess 'the truth'" is an ignorant standpoint. Joseph Smith, a fundamentalist prophet said about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “Mormonism is truth; and every man who embraces it feels himself at liberty to embrace every truth. The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth.” True fundamentalist religion is formed based on what the founder believes to be truth, and any additional insights can be welcomed into their circle of beliefs. Just because a religion claims to have truth, doesn't mean that they believe "they alone possess the truth." These churches, if they truly feel that what they teach is true, will embrace and welcome any additional true doctrine. True doctrine can only be supported by additional true doctrine. People should chose their religion, or no religion at all, and then continually seek out truth within their religion and outside of it so they are not misled.
If “the greatest moral wickedness” has been perpetuated by followers of religious leaders such as Christ, and Buddha, does this mean that we would be better off without them? Especially when “the greatest moral advances have been made” by them? It is scary to think about a world without the effects of the good brought by these leaders. The wickedness was not done as a result of their teaching, but as a result of other’s individual choices. Pointing a finger at organized religion and saying it is a bad thing because of these individual choices is like saying that because of the holocaust, all Germans are bad. Or because of terrorists, Muslims are bad.
It is undeniable that throughout history people have done horrible things in the name of religion, and that kind of behavior is something that we as a society should take action to prevent. But what is even more dangerous is to condemn a whole group such as the broad group of organized religion for the wicked actions of individuals within it.