By Warwick Dunnett · 4 min read · May 2, 2026
I just heard yesterday that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland announced that 13 facilities and churches in the East Bay will be closing amid ongoing financial woes. (In part due to the result of sexual misconduct lawsuits.)
When I saw the headline, it got me thinking about how I treated this topic in Dance with Angels, and my big question… Can you have a disdain for organized religion but still respect and enjoy its benefits?
Enjoying community, compassion, and joining together to sing and rejoice are just a few of the wonderful benefits of religion. Participating with others to live a righteous life and help the needy, and follow a moral code are other huge benefits. But at what cost?
Do you have to be subjected to historically questionable dogma and malfeasance or sexual misconduct to enjoy those positives?
In a church statement on April 29th, Bishop Michael Barber said 12 parish sites would be closing, along with a pastoral center. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 largely because of 300 or so lawsuits from sexual abuse victims. They, along with many other churches are also suffering from a lack of public confidence, reduce attendance and a shortage of ordained priests.
I write about this topic at length in Dance with Angels. Here is one small extract:
Often, religions give us, as a civilization, great rules to live by. The teachings of the Ten Commandments and books such as the Quran, by and large, have helped create a populist way of life that allows communities to survive together. Simple edicts such as Thou shalt not steal and Thou shalt not kill, etc., are valuable guidelines for any group to live by. Unfortunately, religions bring with them both good and bad. Which begs the question—why do we have to accept the bad parts of religion to experience the benefits? Do we even need religion to live together ethically?
My journey in creating this book was meant to be an unbiased discovery in which I’d share the knowledge I uncovered. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t also share my conclusions, not just facts. One thing I’ve realized is that there’s a lot of good in all religions, but there is also a lot of bad. The bad in no way diminishes our ability to believe in an afterlife, but perhaps it taints the lens through which we view that conclusion.
I have come to realize that one doesn’t need a religion that believes in a deity that oversees us or to be subjected to the negative aspects of some of these religions to accept the possibility of an afterlife or to live my life in a positive way.
I reached the conclusion above not because of the total lack of believable facts about the origins of the significant deistic religions but more so because of the many atrocities and deaths committed in the name of religion that I can’t ignore.
This was my conclusion alone and is not an edict telling anybody what to do. For many, the act of enjoying and celebrating the benefits of organized religion far outweigh the historical malfeasance and negatives. I get it! (I often sneak into a church and sing a few hymns or listen to a good old sermon. It’s just too pleasant, regardless of all the terrible stuff.)