Religion Is a Tool of Systemic Control and Oppression

Religious institutions use guilt, fear, and promises of salvation to manipulate human behavior, enforcing obedience and suppressing independent thought. By dictating morality and prohibiting skepticism, religion maintains rigid hierarchies and power structures.

Common Tactics of Religious Control:

• Instilling guilt over natural human desires
• Threatening eternal punishment for questioning faith
• Prohibiting scientific and intellectual inquiry

The Catholic Church's history of indulgences—selling forgiveness for sins—illustrates how religious institutions exploit guilt for financial and political power.