Well, let's look at one or two of those "teachings of Jesus" as it applied to how even one religious group was misusing "religion," shall we?
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
So, first of all, where does Jesus seemingly "agree" with some of your comment above?
A. Well, v. 10 strongly agrees with your comment: "10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah."
(Too many substitute themselves in place of Jesus the Messiah)
B. Well, Jesus rails against much of the "organized religion" as to how the Pharisees PRACTICED it:
* Hypocritical (v. 3)
* Cumbersomely legalistic -- tying up others' burdens without seeking to remove them (v. 4)
* Self-honor-seeking and sought to be center of attention and have the weightiness of their own status and teachings respected (vv. 5-8)/bad motivations
* And Matthew 23 goes on & on beyond what I cited with Jesus railing vs. legalistic Pharisaicism
Now, since you used the word "all" in touching upon "organized religion," let's look at one caveat which you seemed to ignore re: from "Jesus's teaching":
Verse 3: "So you MUST be careful to do EVERYTHING they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach."
Now here's what's interesting in comparing "Jesus's teachings" to your opinion:
Yes, Jesus went on in Matthew 23 to lambast the Pharisees for their...
...hypocrisy (vv. 13-15, 23-29)
...blind guide & blind fool role (16-19, 24-25)
...neglecting the MORE important matters of the law -- justice, mercy, and faithfulness (v. 23)
...Inward spiritual deadness & wickedness (25-28)
...and just being plain hell-bound "brood of vipers" (33)
...Yet within all of the negativity of Pharisaical "organized religion," we find this nugget in verse three: "You MUST be careful to do EVERYTHING they tell you."
You would think that somebody who tore apart the leadership credentials as much as Jesus did of the Pharisees in Matthew 23 (he also called them children of Satan in the latter part of John 8) wouldn't have uttered the above statement. (But He did)
So: Have you, Ravenwolf, exercised Jesus' teaching to "Be careful to do EVERYTHING" what even many off-base religious teachers have told you to do?
Or do you go around, buffet style, and pick and choose which Jesus' teachings to follow and which to ignore?
Sure, Jesus says: Don't practice what these teachers are DOING.
Sure, Jesus says, don't insert them as your personal teachers in place of the Messiah.
Yet Jesus didn't leave any wiggle room there in verse 3, now did He?
He said you MUST (not if ya wanna)...you MUST...
...be careful...
...to exercise (faith-practice)...
...EVERYTHING they tell you to do...
Otherwise, Ravenwolf, you're not really fully turning to Jesus' teachings now, are you?
You're just pumping up yourself as that "religious teacher" and making yourself the new "religious authority" in your life. And are you any more consistent than the hypocritical Pharisees?
The solo Christ-one life doesn't work very well.
There's over 50 times the word "saint" (a person who is holy) is used in the New Testament.
'Tis only a few times where it's singular (like "greet every saint")...so even there's it's basically plural.
There ain't no such thing as solo sainthood, Ravenwolf. IoW, USUALLY the flip side of those who rail against ALL "organized religion" is that they haven't found a way to connect very well to the rest of the Body of Christ.
And another BASIC problem with tossing out ALL "organized religion" is the vacuum it creates.
People live ordered and organized lives; they eschew disorder and disorganization. Like you said, "it would not be six months before the religious whores would be at it again"...but that's also true on a personal level:
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” (Jesus, Matthew 12)
IoW, Ravenwolf, as you -- or somebody else -- sweeps out & cleans out all of the nasty "organized religion" stuff from your personal spirit...guess what? Either the nasty spirits behind that stuff comes back & find it so empty he brings his buds back with him to re-occupy...
...or...
...the person himself becomes the new lord...the new organizer...the new religious orderer of new habits.
(And they tend not to be any better about that than the Pharisees! Inconsistent! Just like the hypocritical Pharisees!)
Verse 3: “So you MUST be careful to do EVERYTHING they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”
Mark 13
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Mathew 24:11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Many people believe Jesus is talking about a few individuals, I happen to believe it goes beyond imagination.
Just a few things to consider, if you go to the altar in a Pentecostal Church you may be pounded on the back and told to pray, because they can not hear you praying.
I am sure you already know what Jesus said about praying in secret.
People call the priests or bishops father because they are told to in one way or another.
The Mormons believe in temple marriages’ because they are told.
The J.Ws believe that a blood transfusion is the same as drinking blood, because they are told.
The Christian science in general don`t believe in going to the doctor for any more than broken bones, again because they are told.
Although this may not be against anything Jesus said it is doctrine which could make people lose faith in God if they lose a child or another loved one because of the doctrine.
Many people will blame God instead of doctrine.
Do what they tell you?
But you are right I should not have said all religious organization, I should have said many.
.