Church of Scientology Convicted of Fraud in France

Yeah but those aren't personal religions anymore. When people as a group come together under a belief they validate their nonsense with each other and that's where people like Ted Haggard get his fuel. By not being alone with your belief you grow more devoted to it and you are less likely to doubt it when reality starts to tug at it's cords.

kristus said:
When people as a group come together under a belief they validate their nonsense with each other and that's where people like Ted Haggard get his fuel. By not being alone with your belief you grow more devoted to it and you are less likely to doubt it when reality starts to tug at it's cords.

It seems you're using personal to try to say non-authoritative, but authoritative and personal are not incompatible, which is what I was pointing out by noting how Haggard and Hubbard managed to impose their personal religious outlook. Other much more progressive religious people also gather to commune or worship, sharing their doctrines or outlooks. You could well argue that while they make room for personal interpretation in the process by each or at least most fellow worshipers, their more liberal take on religion is a result of sharing and exposing their beliefs, especially when they feel the moment is right, as opposed to keeping these to themselves.

Non-authoritative religion is pretty cool but it seems to occur mostly where people are pretty much well off, with a competent education and all. Considering that religion comes along aside the miseries of life, it largely applies to people who aren't so fortunate, in more authoritative ways. Now you're left with the chicken and the egg, and I'd be skeptical to say poverty and misfortune are caused by (authoritative) religion, regardless of how it may perpetuate them in some ways, especially as it seems to be a way of facing these.