religion and spirituality

[Adam Blatner]

Dear Bud, 
   As perhaps a too-amateur student of comparative religion, and acknowledging room for continued correction and learning, I confess that you've made a few assertions that deserve to be questioned.

   1. You say: Take a good look at the history of organized religion and you see basically building power gathered in the hands of a few to control people and justify wars committed on the part of the powerful to gain more power using the poor and misguided middle classes. As General Smedley Darlington Butler once put it as the most highly decorated longest of service general in the Marines, "War is a Racket." 
        AB: that word "basically" denies the many cults that started and caught on, never justified wars, and there seems to be an over-simplification as to the many causes and functions of religion, spirituality, and the like. Your points are certainly partially true in many cases, more or less, but let us not oversimplify.

   2. The Abrahamic religions that grew out of the far older African practices honed by the Egyptians into the 144 negative confessions as the guide to life.... Interesting to note that the 10 commandments are taken whole from the 144 negative confessions that the Egyptian priests had to pass in order to become part of the holy of hollies. 
       AB: I've never heard this in any sources I've encountered. What are your sources, please? 

Warmly, Adam
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