{"id":56993,"date":"2024-01-25T12:14:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T11:14:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/institutodelbienestar.com\/live-without-harming\/publications\/let-us-reform-the-harmful-part-of-religions\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:37:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:37:48","slug":"reform-the-harmful-side-of-religions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/institutodelbienestar.com\/en\/live-without-harming\/publications\/reform-the-harmful-side-of-religions\/","title":{"rendered":"Reform the harmful side of religions"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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LIVE WITHOUT HARMING! REFORM THE HARMFUL SIDE OF RELIGIONS <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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In LIVE WITHOUT HARMING: See the harmful side of religions<\/a><\/span><\/span>, we saw the often great suffering that certain religions have caused and continue to cause to up to billions of innocent people. Fortunately, throughout history, significant religious reforms have been made, such as the Lutheran Reformation, which put an end to unacceptable abuses like indulgences, bulls, nepotism and other forms of corruption, or the Second Vatican Council.<\/span><\/p>

A good example of reformed, benign and respectful Christianity is Quakerism, which has allowed significant scope for individual freedom, thought and interpretation of doctrinal texts. It was also notable for its pacifism, for purchasing land from Native Americans in Pennsylvania and Delaware in the 17th century instead of stealing it, as most Christians did. Also for defending their rights instead of exterminating them, for fighting for the abolition of slavery, and for women’s rights.<\/p>

In fact, in the 18th century, Philadelphia was the most liberal, tolerant and advanced city in the USA. This is likely why the Constitutional Convention and the Declaration of Independence took place there.<\/p>

Another example is progressive Calvinism, which is at the foundation of the liberal and modern cultures of cities like Amsterdam, Boston, New York or San Francisco, and which, along with Quakerism, formed the core of the abolitionist and feminist movements in the United States and Great Britain in the 19th century.<\/p>

All these advances are very encouraging and give us reason to believe that it is possible to continue moving forward. To do so, it is necessary to take a scalpel and remove all remaining tumors, so that nothing toxic remains\u2014nothing that encourages harming innocent people.<\/p>

This is not easy because, although in all religions there are many believers who wish to do this\u2014especially in more civilized (or less uncivilized, depending on one’s perspective) countries\u2014there are also numerous religious leaders and followers, particularly in fourth, third and second-world countries, who oppose it and insist on continuing to commit misdeeds against innocent people.<\/p>

BE OBJECTIVE<\/strong><\/p>

The first step in realizing the desirability of reforming a religion is to open one’s eyes. That is, to recognize the precepts of each religion that lead to acts of kindness, compassion and solidarity, but also those that lead to cruelty, injustice and villainy.<\/p>

Let’s be impartial, seeing the light in each religion and all the benefit it brings, but also the shadows and the suffering it causes innocent people.<\/p>

This implies not idealizing any faith or being blinded by some positive aspect, such as aid and charitable works<\/u><\/a><\/span>, in a way that prevents us from seeing the misdeeds committed in the name of that creed.<\/p>

Let’s judge fairly<\/u><\/a><\/span>, not refusing to see the rather monstrous and evil side of conservative and, above all, fundamentalist versions of certain religions\u2014which are very different from the liberal, tolerant and benign versions with much softer, sweeter and more beautiful features.<\/p>

Some say that religion should be viewed as a whole, globally. But then, should we do the same with Nazism? Should we focus on its positive aspects, such as the great economic and employment growth of the 1930s, its social programs, or the construction of the great network of free highways, and overlook the Holocaust and the destruction of Europe?<\/p>

NO! Good aspects never wash away or compensate for the outrages committed, just as in a trial it is useless to tell the judge to look at a rapist, torturer and serial killer as a whole, focusing primarily on the fact that he is a very good son and father and that his neighbors say he is very nice.<\/p>

BE CONSTRUCTIVE<\/strong><\/p>

I have a mission for well-intentioned believers: to influence other believers and, above all, the clergy to carry out a proper reform of religions. This consists of eliminating everything that is harmful to innocent people. Everything else can remain.<\/p>

Let’s take a sieve and pass through it the very good, good, neutral, bad, and very bad things that each religion has, so that we remove the bad and very bad and throw them in the trash\u2014where they always belonged\u2014such as hitting women who do not obey their husbands or harming homosexuals. And let the final result be a religion that is 100% benign<\/u><\/a><\/span> and respectful<\/u><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>

For the three major world religions, the necessary reforms are as follows:<\/p>