I Smell a Rat

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Tonchi

I consider the Catholic Church to be a huge part of the problem with the Philippines, which is sinking into the bottomless cesspool of ignorance and corruption while the Church praises the country for its "piety and religious devotion".

I think it's a little bit of 'chicken and egg'. People sunk in poverty and ignorance have a tendency to grasp at religion. This does not mean that religion promotes ignorance, or that intelligent people don't also find a need for religion. It's just that middle and upper class individuals may have less of a need to turn over aspects of their life to religious control, accepting religion as an advisor and partner and not a master.