Isn't that essentially the Church?

Each church (congregation) has it's own views on the original teachings of a man who loved everyone and cared for them no matter what.

The Church doesn't really exist anymore because of the distorted views on all faiths that derived from his original teachings.

Well, this does defeat the point that religion makes people become better. Inthe end it's the people who make the religion, and not vice versa, so religious is pointless even regarding morality.

While I do agree that religion is pointless in terms of morality in the sense of people, I don't agree that it defeats the purpose of religion to make a person better. An individual can find the greatest of morals and choices based on those from religion. Religion is what has established our modern morals as we perceive them but it differs based on the person's views on what they are hearing or reading from teachings. An individual makes up their own mind in the end and it's the individual were religion counts.

Of course in this case, all of the entire congregation were have a distinct lack of morals based on the 'teachings' of the minister. Although we don't know the full picture, nothing is being reported about if any of the congregation stood up for this girl or raise their voice in objection as , in my view, a morally better person would.

I think that people shape their religious beliefs to better suit their needs and desires. If a person is mean and wicked, they'll create a repressive and cruel religion, if a person is nice, they'll create a feel-good religion. I don't think that the religion influences the person much, but rather the individual shapes the religion to be similar to what he feels is "right" (not to mention that he can use the religion he creates as justification for his actions - for example a person acting cruel, but saying that he's acting "the way God demands").

Sadly true, it still stands that an individual's morals as based on teachings and their views on them. If not scewed by their owns perceptions. In majority of cases it helps the person become better.

Whether this is true, religion is the basis for nigh on all man's perceptions on what is right or wrong by the commandments and teachings, and from these our morals are based around them.

As highwaystar101 said it: "I don't think this has anything to do with the church, just one man with a distorted view on the world (and a congregation that will be sympathetic towards his manner of dealing with things)."

It`s pretty obvious this is beyond religions; it`s just someone putting the blame on someone who is a victim. This happens outside religious contexts aswell.

Christianity views both women and men equally if i may had. Salvation is offered to both. They both do good and bad and judge the same way. But please let me add this: do you know that the Virgin Mary was the only person to go to Heaven with body and soul (the assumption of Mary)? Do you know she was the only one who was born without sin, in a state of grace?

I'm not religious, and my morals don't come from any religion. And Christianity actually borrowed most of it's moral principles froom the Greek phislosphers, Confucianism was a philosiphical system that was turned by it's adepts into a religion etc. Morals come from philosophy, and are reflections on the best way to behave, in order for society to work. They have nothing to do with supernatural forces.

It's more of a cult to be honest.

Christianity perpetuates the ideea of men having power over women, therefore women aren't equal to men.