A major problem with religion is that it is built upon the concept of perfection. That’s a problem because it leads to many logical inconsistencies and eventually to suffering by its followers.

The concept of perfection in religion comes from the top. Of course it’s necessary for the god figure in a religion to be seen to be perfect because what’s the alternative? But it turns out that god is very far from perfect.

Where it goes immediately wrong is when god said “Let us make man in our image” (genesis 1:26). (As an aside, who the “us” is at the time god was creating the universe, isn’t made clear in the text.) That means that we, as humans, are modeled upon a perfect being. So where does that perfect modeling start and end? Well, the truth is that it never starts.

Then there’s the mental aspect to perfection, for example is a definition of “perfection” to be without sin? Or is it only to ever have “pure” thoughts? What does knowledge of inevitable imperfection do to religious followers?

Click the following to find out more about the above aspects to “perfection”.

The secular world does not deal in perfection. E.g. courts look at extenuating circumstances, schools pass students on less than 100% achievement, you are allowed to have the occasional sick day, musicians make mistakes during performances, etc. It’s only the religious who extend the concept of perfection from fairy tales in a book into the real world.