Can Organized Religion Be Unethical?

Abstract

Organized religion does not claim to be perfect and is aware of certain hazards to its mission inherent in its very structures. Preoccupation with organizational machinery or spiritual compromise for the sake of institutional survival may defeat the goals it pursues. There is always a tension between the ideal and human efforts to attain it. Not imperfec tion in relation to proclaimed standards, but insincerity or cyni cism regarding them merits the charge of "unethical." Organized religion acts unethically whenever it compromises its prophetic role for the sake of institutional self-preservation, prestige, or power. Its dilemma arises from the fact that it must interact with the power structures in society which, as well as its own adherents, often seek to use religion to support their own interests instead of responding to its insights. To teach and inspire while understanding the shortcomings of humanity, to generate power from within instead of manipulating power from without, and to co-operate with other agencies for the common good without exploiting them or becoming their instruments for compromising goals—these are some of the ethical problems of organized religion.