Six Reasons Religion Does More Harm Than Good 

I really appreciate you...you are so real but the faith is the center of your life..there is nothing for sane than true Catholic spirituality and I have seen the dark side which is simply the absence of love and condemnation of anyone different

God Bless you in your vocational journey! Keep up the awesome work you are doing.

Speaking of Wikipedia... you can start on a random article and click on the first non-trivial link... and then on that article click on the first non-trivial link... and so on. It will eventually lead you to the article on Philosophy.

Whenever I start to waver in my thinking I look at these "Followers of God" in the comments and it reaffirms my lack of "Faith". They don't just harass others, they harass their own and it's beyond sad. Keep it up guys, you've become experts at driving people away from your so-called "God". I Love this channel which is the sad part. I could never be a part of a system where it's people treat each other the way I'v seen, been treated and the examples below.

We need God more than we need church leaders regardless of what doctrines we profess.

The Israel of God (People of God) are not the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel but those who, with Abraham the believer, believe in the promises of God now disclosed in Christ, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. This is according to what the Bible states and obviously not what Pope Francis says...Romans 9:8 ..That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed, through the crucified Christ.

Meditate and wisdom is real understanding

What is the meaning three tie in a Franciscan rope

Question r u recruiting ppl

can you make more 'a friar life" episodes?

You troll us Br! hahaha You fall into a clickbait and then used the same clickbait to get us in to your video hahaha awesome! But it was a great analysis of that article!

I loved this. You truly have a depth to you through an openness of mind that I was not expecting to find (the poet in me peeks out). Truly, the Franciscans are lucky to have you. I rather see the Franciscans as a breath of invigorating air. Certainly, their largely unstructured retreats have given me the place, the spiritual space in which to be creative.

Wow why haven't I paid any attention to your videos?

Clickbaiting, eh? I think Mother Angelica would have done the same. She'd be proud of what you are doing in this genre of the Media. May she rest in the bossom of the Father in Heaven.

Hello Brother Casey. Thank you for your interesting videos! I apologise in advance for the wall of text below :) I am an atheist who (still) agree with most of the points you attempt to refute here, but I do find it very interesting to hear your thoughts on them. I watch your content to improve my understanding of Catholic tradition and theology. I also consider you as a good "steel man" for Christian thought. When I think about something I consider problematic in Christian theology my new reaction is: "how would brother Casey interpret this?" Much of the religious RU-vid content I've seen otherwise is downright horrifying (such as followers of Ken Ham and similar fundamentalists), so your channel is a pleasant exception. English isn't my native language so I apologise if I'm not expressing myself clearly.

I thought this was very good. And, from an academic standpoint, I would have credited the author of the original article you used with a link in the description.

Bro Casey .... continue the good work ! Your insight on how religion can be tribal is spot on.

New subscriber here. I'm a Pantheist, to me god is something closer to the Tao, the Force of Star Wars (as described in New Hope by Obi Wan Kenobi, not the bugs in your bloodstream nonsense), the silent awareness you find in meditative contemplation that doesn't care about who you sleep with or the color of your skin or sexual identity. I'm one of those guys that tends to be highly critical of organized religion, even if I find the mystics of all traditions intriguing and inspiring. That all said, I'm really enjoying your channel, and find it refreshing to see an ordained member of the Catholic Church willing to come out and admit that the tradition has its flaws and problems and is not some perfect monolith.

This video might have been clickbait but it was so full of wisdom. May God bless you.

Well said. Your videos do a wonderful service to bring light to Catholic teaching and the OFM.

:o, I admire you for being able to look at the article in that way. Usually I'm open to hear or discuss arguments in a constructive way, but when something is made clearly just for harm and distorts us with the straw man fallacy, I prefer to just look to other way. Unfortunately, it's uncommon to hear these kind of stuff in an fair or constructive way.

Hey, I went to UChicago, right down the street from where he studied! My mom stayed there when she visited.

You're awesome! I just found this literally procrastinating while I was supposed to be working lol... just like you were talking about. Keep up this ministry! We need more voices like yours!

I'm not sure if you read the comments, but if you do, I just want to say thank you and also I'm sorry. I started watching your videos on a whim but I'm glad I did. You've changed my mind about Catholicism. I grew up in south Arkansas where there were very few Catholics. I always thought that Catholics were all alcoholics, cussed like sailors and saw images of people in their grease traps or grilled cheese (sad but true). You've really opened my eyes and now I'm interested in learning more. Thanks for being so open and putting yourself out there. You've made a difference

Created tribalism is just one negatives of religion. People from religious homes are taught from birth, to believe what they "feel" and to disregard science and evidence. People like this are easily manipulated and "duped". We are experiencing the consequences of this phenom in the U.S. right now, with the "Trump Cult". Religion does do some positive things, at least the "Orthodox" versions of the religions do. Considering all, I think that the "fundamentalist" versions of the major religions do as much harm as the Orthodox versions of the major religions do that are positive. Overall, I'd have to say it's a wash. Better off with or without it? Perhaps, slightly better off with it. But it's a close call. There's a Thesis for someone looking for a subject.

Love the videos brotha, praying for your ministry! Keep them coming!

Well done Casey! Eagerly anticipating your book. God bless.

I don’t understand how Our God and the god of muslims can be one and the same. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against muslims, I even know some great people who are muslims, but I fail to understand how the God of the catholic faith and theirs can be one and the same. It just does not make sens. They do not believe Jesus was the son of God, nor the Jesus was crucified... explain to me please how he could be the same God. If that is the teachings we are to take back from Vatican II, well then I am gravely concerned. Jesus knows everyone’s heart, and he is the ultimate judge, I have no business judging others. I am really confused however if we are talking about the same God all across the line.

I subbed, I'm not religious and I'm very much against it(although religion is an interesting concept) but it's nice to see a religious person with a brain, when articles like that come out it's almost always from an outsiders perspective, it's natural to say & think that your religion/group/relationship is the greatest thing in the world but ignore the observations of others, outsiders see things that insiders can't, I agree that religions like Christianity and Catholicism gets a lot of shit because of.... Certain activities priests indulge in and because of this it reflects (very) poorly on the majority, the article could have simply put that it was 1. Their opinion(it sounded as if it was fact) 2. It was based on observations and how their encounters with religious people went.

"Faith does not contradict reason or science or conscience. It builds upon them to come to a higher level of understanding." Thank you,

Wait, did he just present a church that, after hundreds of years, still does,not allow women as priests, as being open to progress? Checks 4:02. Yep, he most definitely did.

Brilliant. Lol. Good one, Brother! Scared the crap out of me when I saw the title, but as usual a good insight.

Being so sincere about procrastination! Oh my! You just became my best friend!

Religion is necessary, else we would be immersed in materialism, relativism, love to the money,..

Am i wrong for believing in some evolution and believing in God?

So was the lumen gentium before or after the inquisition? I ask because i specifically remember something about the church torturing people to confess and or convert along with killing those who refused. That's an honest question. I'm not trying to troll you. I'm asking you to explain the clear contradiction between what you said on video, and what history has shown.

Point 3 was off. What Christianity has devoted to the poor and those in need compared to groups founded on Atheistic principles does not even compare. There are certain generous Atheists. However, Christian generosity actually should embarrass those who clutch to Atheism and claim Christians are close-minded.

Did you study or have a different major before going into seminary?

The Catholic Church is replete with priest against priest, each doing what they believed were God's will. Freedom of will has always been for everyone, but not for everyone. God is what each person believes God is to each of them. That why churches don't really work. Martin Luther was an example of this when he opposed paying indulgence. The Catholic Church was wrong on this, so he said. No church really has its people in one mind. Some members of the same church will disagree among the other. Should mads be held in Latin or not? This was a big issue among Catholic authorities years ago. I was present living in the Catholic Church at the time, during that argument. In fact, it's still an argument today. Each person believes they know what God wants. Churches are divided and will separate within time. Is Jesus the Son of God? Once this was a great argument in the history of the Catholic Church. This lead to a division in the church, even to violence in some cases. You remember? The Council of Nicea, abou 325 - 327 AD. So, who's is of one mind? Which church is true? Each church claims to be true. Many people believe God has a mission for them. Do you believe this?

Tribalism even exists among catholic parishes. In my city, there was tension between parishes in terms of fundraising. Can't have a lower steeple than the neighbours!

Hello, glad I found this video. I am a pagan. I wasn’t raised Roman Catholic, but spent much of my youth wanting to join the Benedictine order. I comment in peace. Yet, with respect, I disagree with you. Unfortunately, I view religion as the #1 cause of all human troubles. It is a byproduct of the suspension of disbelief. The same instinct allows us to watch a movie and believe for a while that the characters are real. The problem is that humans cannot agree on which imaginary character we want to believe in for our god/s or deity. I understand the importance of religion to the development of civilization. But take the Americas for example. Pre-colonialism, Mother Earth had a paradise rich in resources and abundance. Life was everywhere. Then came the Christians. Hundreds of billions of lives (not just humans) slaughtered in the name of religion, natural resources plundered and destroyed. I have a list of people like me on my wall to remind me that good Christians people, set people like me on fire. 400 years ago, you might have burned me at the stake. Legally. That’s just one of thousands of examples. The excuse is always the same, “those Christians were wrong, we’re different now.” Anyways, I wish you peace, but I can’t forget what religion/Christianity is responsible for. No charity can return this planet to what it was pre-Christianity, or return the billions of lives lost.

love your Alice Cooper intro. :-D so my style too.

Religion brought back from the dead religion brought me back from the dead Nikki. I was dead I came back.🧟‍♂️

Very good commentary. Who better to learn how to improve from or what your failings are than from your critics. All of humanity, not just the Religious, suffer from Ego and a feeling of Knowing more than we really do. I learn most when God dishes me a large bowl of humility.

I'm an atheist, I heavily dislike religions but that doesn't mean I can't be reasoned with, sure religions is what brought humanity together and what created civilization and society, but religion is also what has caused 99% of all wars across the world, and in this informed and scientific world we live in now, religion serves no purpose. Sure religion makes people feel at home, secure, and that there's a purpose for them. But the reality is, God isn't real, never has been, and never will be. Religion keeps people happy during tough times but in the modern world where the commonwealth is increasing and diseases and wars are very rare, all religion does is misguide people. Not only that but it gives ppl something to blame their faults and issues on, because "God has a plan for me". I might just be a bit short-sighted so please be welcome to inform me if there's something I've missed.

Got a question for you in case you still check your youtube comments still. Are you an atheist now? I genuinely believe faith is a negative thing. I was raised in a moderately catholic community and quickly moved to atheism upon seeing the problems religion causes in many, many other areas of the world. Because religion in my area does not do bad things, doesnt mean it doesnt do this in other areas. I din’t think faith is necessarily bad, people can gain strength from it. The problem, I believe, stems in organized religion.

When you boil it down, religions offer a very enticing product - a guarantee of some form of higher existence. But you must have sufficient 'faith' or your religious and spiritual practice will come to nothing, or in other words you must be sufficiently brainwashed. Those two together guarantee the success of religion and that religions won't go away any time soon.

I think all institutions are susceptible for corruption.... Humans are humans, capable of doing both good or bad. To say that religions do more harm than good can also be applicable to culture and government.....

My opinion: "Radical" Muslims are not Muslims. People using Christ for profits are not Christian. Nor are people who use religion to justify hatred, especially when they don't obey all rules of their religion. These people are merely people using relgion as an excuse to be tyrants. Real religious people try their best to follow their religious principles, and try to become better people because of their religion. They try to love others and share love, rather than using it for hatred like the aforementioned people are.

mr Casey, it is disingenuous to call the article a strawman argument and then simply brush away the argument with an empty and vapid declaration; if your religion always believed in the principles of lumen gencia, then why did it take 2 thousand years for it to declare it? that tractate was written 15 minutes ago and only because the nazi final solution was rubbed in its face; and what an opportunity constantine gave christianity when he restored religious liberty and pluralism to the empire; as soon as christians solidified their power in rome, they rescinded the liberties and europe was plungened into a strict theocracy that lasted a thousand years; and how well did the indigenous people enjoy your lumen gencia principles? did they enjoy that respect? the truth is the churched served those people [with real service] on the condition that they accepted--and demonstrated--christian theology; is that what lumen gencia means? constantine[who was not a christian at the time] built churches and other temples of other oppressed religions to make up for past cruelties of the empire; how many indigenous traditions has your church restored? how many synagogues and mosques? the article was not made of straw, mr Casey, but your response was

Smart young man. God bless you. We must remember man needs God we are not perfect.

Well the Religion tells us the Consciounesse isnt just brain process, and thats right. Seculars dont get that fact.

I mostly agree with everything he say but the notion that we can't do anything without God (or their religion's idea of God is wrong). Mind me, I'm a believer yet I don't agree with it.

Let's not forget how many books with information were burned in the name of religuon. Why did my parents have to sign papers to allow the school to teach me evolution in school when I was a kid. Many kids parents did not sign those papers.

Going down the Rabbit hole of wikipedia or youtube is dangerous lol and you loose time and space and all of a sudden it's very late night or early morning lol i do it all the time. Curiosity killed the sleep lol God has 99 names that is how many religions that exist on our planet. it doesn't matter the religion it's just different ways to pray and honor him ( or her )

Sorry but Muslims do not have the same God. Rather, they have a pagan God called allah. I don't know why people keep on repeating this lie.

Sometimes I hate this channel When you try to convince non-believers and judgemental protestants Try to serve the lambs who follow the one shepherd Trying to help the lost sheep is ok but they might they are dangerous They are no longer sheep they became wolves already it's too late already

Aww. I thought this was a cool atheist channel cleverly called Breaking the Habit. I was disappointed.

Ya know I was laughed at in high school for saying that you can see the works of the Almighty everywhere and from the strangest places, but in your search to reason with an unreasonable clickbait article you've found a bit of truth that brought you closer to the eminence and thus have brought all who wish to listen to this video a little closer too. That's cool and I'm glad to see that the discourse of the ages yet continues.

"Religion began when the first scoundrel met the first fool." - Voltaire

Could you check Mrs. betty bowers, america's best Christan plsssssss

We Christians surely do not worship the same God as Muslims; what is this? Explain to me

Religion must be constrained by morality. Nobody burns people at the stake today-because it is morally wrong.

"That i came across something that was pure clickbait" the irony

The main issue is that you still think magic is real and gods exist. It isn't and they don't.

3:30 so tell me about the middle age and than the rome and greeks or in the arabic world eye surgery and than came monotheism

Hi! Thanks for this very informative video. I noticed you mentionned Muslims and Jews believe in the same God. That's what I thought but then I read contradictory information so I'm a bit confused. Could you please explain this to me? Or even better, make a video about this one day? :) Take care!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Dickens wrote that about some religions too.

Hi dear bro.i like to say congratulations for the nice video..God bless you dear

great videos, wondering what your superiors think about them

Is anyone else hungry for pretzels?

It makes me sad that you say that we believe in the same God as the muslims when sura 5.72 says who ever says that Jesus is God he's going to hell!! And Paul said if you don't have holly spirit you cant say that Jesus is God. that means Islam=Antichrist I'll pray for you and our holly church!

yeah ikr so many wars, kill... oh clickbait

Tribalism is not a bad thing! As long as it is my tribe.

I have never heard a priest quote logical fallacy and state openly that agnostics are brothers of the faith. A very interesting video indeed.

Do you pray the Holy Rosary? What other prayers do you pray?

I want to ask you how you can wear sandals and no socks? I can’t wear sandals because my feet get cold. Keep up the good work!

No subtitle in English on this video?

Your patreon and PayPal links did not work for me...it went to error pages

How do you even get to own a MacBook

Religion did more harm than good to me, therefore religion does more harm than good.

What is he in school for?

No religion helps anyone. Religion is mans way of reaching God.But God’s way is after religion try Jesus.Salvation is God’s plan to bring us to Paradise,Jesus is the only way to God.Some people say that there are thousands of different religions but in truth they can be condensed into two groups.People who think they can manage themselves and those who realize that they need help,a savior,Jesus.When we reach the end of ourselves and call on Jesus to save us .like the thief on the cross Luke 23;34-44

Religion separates people

Can monks wear shoes?

keep it up! I enjoy your videos

The only “bad religion” I’ve experienced is from human priests in the Catholic Faith! I have been yelled at from an inebriated priest and a gay priest and a priest who demanded “Absolute Authority” to what he said or were NOT Catholic and t leave church, and belittled in front of others, because I was not walking up to the pulpit and genuflecting at the right time. This happened at Every Catholic Church I attended when I moved to Washington State. I realize that priests, with their theological training, which I believe includes psychology and probably sociology type courses to become adept (hopefully) in working with people, should be a bit more respectful and compassionate in dealing with parishioners even if they are having an off day. I would always try to be respectful, as I feel most of those in the congregation would also. However, I will not tolerate being made to feel like a fool or an idiot in front of others! If a person requires “correction” in a situation, it is best done privately. I looked for the closest faith I could find to Catholicism that I could find, and thanks to Henry the VIIIth, that was the Episcopalian/Anglican faith. As I knew I was not going to keep going to a church where I felt like a “reject” from the and getting communion, I was received into Episcopal faith, where everyone is welcomed and nobody is made to feel awful. I hope you don’t think badly of me for this. However, growing up in an abused family and being treated horribly by my mother until the day she passed away, has turned me into a stubborn and rebellious and independent person. Although I was born Jewish I was drawn toward Christianity since childhood. I finally converted as an adult, although before RICA. Even after 2 failed marriages, I didn’t get the chance for an annulment through the church, as my Ex changed his faith from Catholicism to another Christian tradition and refused to have anything to do with the process, and I didn’t have the money. I was never able to have children due to a physically abnormality, and I never hid this from him. Anyway, in my 70s, I’m too old.

I love the Alice Cooper part.

Pros: If you are Atheist, You won't be tested by God But if you're christian, you will be tested Cons: You have to rely on fellow humans You can rely on an IMMORTAL SUPERNATURAL creator

I'm going outside at winter in sandals but I'm not a friar...it's 46°F, but I guess I just like it. My feet don't seem to get that cold. Mind you, I'm not crazy, if it was, say, 32°, I'd put on socks (LOL)!!!

The very Passion itself makes the statement that most religious people are troublemakers; only the religious wanted Christ crucified. Pagans like Pontius Pilate couldn't care less and even sought to save Christ. Consider all the people of the Temple who were afraid to confess Christ. Consider those erstwhile followers who left Christ in John 6 after he talked about "eating" his flesh. Out of thousands of "religious" people, Christ only had 11 followers who were deeply sincere. A study in the Soviet Union discovered that only 5% of those attending church exhibited any attitude or lifestyle different from those who did not attend church. Without knowing the facts, many people will throw that study away since they "know" the Soviet government was not interested in truth (which doesn't explain their scientific advances). Personally, I'm glad they found 5%. Years later I read that only 4% of Catholics believe in the Church's teaching on contraception. Wow. Who would have guessed? Like the Christ-crucifying Pharisees and their mass of followers (Matthew 27:20), religion for most people is nothing more than a cheap and easy path to self-promotion. In that respect, they are more like Cain than Abel.

"Obviously false" ? No.

So your argument in favor of religion is it does less harm than good? Well let’s take that same logic and say you’ve got a man and a woman in a relationship. 70% of the time than man is a gentleman and as close to perfection as it gets. But the other 30% of the time he is mean condescending belittling and abusive. 30% of the time he’s hurting his wife/girlfriend is it fair to say he’s good because most of the time he is? Do you not think that the little amount of abuse he offers up effects that woman and will be with her forever? Religion does way more harm than good because the horrible things people do in the name of religion last far longer than the “good things”.

To be fair, I think it's important to know a lot of things about a lot of things. Sometimes I think I know too much. I am (hopefully) going into a retreat for my alcoholism and it's ensuing problems. It's similar to monastic life but as a lay person and you commit to working in the community with a Christian ethic. My family have asked if I'm worried about committing a year or two but I need fixing. I've worked hard in the past but now I'm a bit broken. I want to get back and help others because I've walked this road for too long. I know how it goes down into the dark and I'd like to know how it rises back into the light so I can help someone else. Your videos are always an inspiration. Thank you.

St. Francis of Assisi desired to follow Jesus Christ and he wanted to always live according to the Gospel. One of the most profound ways that St. Francis came to know and follow Jesus was through the Scriptures. The writings of St. Francis include texts from the Scriptures. He quoted passages of scriptures and alluded to them with ease. The words of the Bible were so deep within St. Francis; it was almost as if they became a part of him. He embraced God’s Word and lived by them! St. Francis even insisted that when the friars saw scraps of paper they should pick them up, just in case the Word of God was written on them. An early event in the life of St. Francis occurred when Francis opened the Book of the Gospels in the Church of St. Nicholas. St. Francis and Br. Bernard of Quintavalle opened the Gospel three times, and read the first passages they came across. They based their whole life on what they read! “If you wish to be perfect, go, and sell all your possessions, and give to the poor…come follow me” (Matthew 19:21). “Take nothing for your journey, neither staff not knapsack, shoes nor money” (Luke 9:3). “If any man will come after me, let him renounce self, take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24) They showed trust and confidence by basing the whole rule of their life on these passages that they believed God chose for them. It was really important to me when I learned about St. Francis and his use of the Bible. I’d like to be able to have a similar love that Francis has for the scriptures. The ideals of the scriptures were expressed through St. Francis’s love of God and his neighbor, especially the poor. Seeing and understanding what the Scriptures are meant to teach is what I want to accomplish. St. Francis looked at the Bible as guidelines to living life in a way that is morally good in the eyes of the Lord. Knowing this is very meaningful to me, because I now see that if I spend time with what is said in the Bible’s passages, I will be able to interpret it in a way that is personal and unique to me. St. Francis shows me that if I spend time with God and the Bible, it will allow me to find out what God wants me to do.

Just want to make a correction. It is said in the video that the Jews and the Muslims believe in the same God. That's wrong. Allaha is not the Yahweh of OT. Kindly ask Jewish scholar regarding this. Or else try to learn about Islam first. Please don't repeat such himalayan blunders.

Do you have to wear a costume when you get to a certain level of religious BS? All of them do it.

This was beautifully articulated. I wish I had been taught some of these things when growing up. Thank you... ummm, nice dude. 👍🏽 ♥

There is a favourite story of mine in the book of Matthew. Christ an the Centurion. Christ says in it ‘More than the sons of Abraham shall sit at the table of God’. I’m one of those ‘Shadow-People’ you mentioned. I very much enjoy your videos. Still want a black habit for use in my own faith though lol. The other point you brought up about charity. Is the charity work something you would do if you weren’t a Franciscan? If you weren’t Christian? Does it come from a desire to leave the world a better place than you found it, or is it only an opportunity to Evangelise? I think that’s where the potential flaw lies, and that’s their point. If you were in need of aid, I wouldn’t provide it in order to get your ear. I’d just help because it’s the inherently right thing to do. I like these videos because they make me think. And it seems they make you think too.

Why would god communicate with his creation in such a way that his words could be used to abuse the faithful? If he is all knowing, he knows that his current communications are going to be bastardized. If he is all powerful, then he is able to communicate with his creation in such a way that his words wouldn’t be subject to interpretation by false leaders.