Inspired by Robert Ingersoll’s rants against Presbyterianism-although if he were alive today he’d probably see how utterly more insane religions there are.
Well, if we have all of history to choose from…
I gotta say, that whole Aztec thing involving digging still-beating hearts out of peoples’ chests, skinning people and priests wearing the skin, and the various other bloody, torturous acts of that religion, is going to be hard to top.
Amway?
Communism? (Millions murdered, Atheism for the spiritual aspect, veneration of the State).
The purported Carthaginian practice of burning children to death in the hands of giant bronze representations of Ba’al Hammon has to competitive as well.
Well it can’t compete with human sacrifice, but having read about NXIVM (“Nexium”) in Vanity Fair (link to aNew York post story), it is a bit worrying. This leader guy seems to have bilked two of the Bronfman heiresses out of millions and lives in a compound-type area North of Albany, with lots of women around (women he apparently sleeps with). Fine, standard sect or cult, at least the women seem to be of age. But there are stories of people getting threats upon leaving. And apparently the guy is raising a child who was “given” to him (child authorities know about it but have never investigated, I’m not even sure they know who the real parents are). And the cult itself has roots in business seminar-type retreats, but with hypnotism and breaking people down/building them up.
No connection to Scientology that I know of, but it would be funny if they got in a nu-religion flame war.
Most of the Mormon split-offs I’ve heard of. Although it’s perfectly possible that I’ve only heard of the bad ones.
If we’re going to count communism, I think capitalism should be considered as well. The worship of money and profitability has undoubtedly caused more human misery than any religion.
If we’re considering only current world religions? Wahabbist Sunni Islam. If this sect was in kindergarten, it’d get this worrying note on its report card: “Does not play well with others.”
Psha. You liberals and your political correctness.
If I’m not mistaken, historians mostly consider this to have been slander and blood libel on the Roman chroniclers’ part though.
Then again religion used to be much more hardcore than it is today, so…
That’s ***extremely ***debatable.
Which its not.
The debate is still ongoing. It is definitely not so simple as Roman slander. One of the main accounts comes from Diodorus Siculus, a crummy historian but definitely not a Roman apologist. Here is a recent article on the subject from an anthropological perspective.
The most detestable one that is topical, timely, relevant to my experience and area of the country: Scientology.
Overall in history? Catholicism gets a big nix from me because of The Crusades and various Inquisitions, and the more recent coverups of child sexual abuse.
That’s the one I came here to post, though I agree with your runner-up as well.
So… Um… I was married into that branch of the Hubbard clan which made for very interesting Thanksgiving dinners. Suffice to say that everyone in the family KNEW that L. Ron made it all up as a joke after his philandering with Jack Parsons’ wife.
How it got to be what it is today with have L. Ron laughing in hysterics at the members’ stupidity.
Christianity. It has successfully scoured away most of the capacity for happiness from the majority of the human race. A grim grey death cult dedicated to destroying all forms of happiness that don’t come from harming others, and ultimately dedicated to bringing about the end of the world. Where it has not permanently taken over, it has contaminated with its hatred of life the regions of the world where it once ruled and was driven back. Sauron would be proud.
I’m not going to get into which religion actually deserves the most ire but the one that I detest the most is Scientology. I got really, really pissed when I saw free “stress tests” being offered outside of a Wal-Mart about two years ago. Thankfully I haven’t seen them there since.
Go spend some serious time in poor countries whose resources and labor are exploited by rich countries, and then we’ll talk.