I do agree with that.

Nothing has changed....

Because it's war.

I fail to find agreement in the truth of this statement as a whole, and my reason is thus: many use a religion as a guiding principle and are able to find wisdom in the world. Additionally, men such as Martin Luther King Jr., a man far beyond his time, were both religious and wise but were far from a common man to eyes of the world.

*shrugs*

The last part, sadly, is without any fault or inconsistency.

I won't argue at all, since I agree that for many people, religion is a force of great good in people's lives and a source of a lot of people's wisdom, and many wise people drew strength from their faith. Spirituality, and the need to have a stable moral core is something that we all seem to need in our lives.

What I think Seneca was going for was something that many nowadays still feel - that organized religion is a source of great division, and has an enormous potential for misuse and should therefore be treated with caution.

The distinction I draw is between spirituality and religion. Where the one resides in the belief and introspection of the believer, the latter is drawn more of a sense of community or conformity - it's primarily external in it's manifestation.
Many religious people are spiritual, but not all spiritual people are religious.
There are plenty of people alive today who don't follow any major religion (or at least, not one that is codified in any holy book or set of concrete regulations), yet they nevertheless believe in powers and systems beyond themselves that help give them guidance and stability in their lives. Just as there are many religious people who are as blind and hateful and full of conflict as any heathen.

I won't lie, I have some issues with organized religion as a whole, since they are so easily abused as a tool with which to keep followers in line and under control (hence why this quote appeals to me). But I don't mean to say that all religions or all religious people are that way, even if sometimes a pessimistic mood may make it look that way.

I see, and on your distinction between spirituality and religious, I find only truth. Spirituality, as it seems to manifest in peoples of all nations, arguably is rooted in wisdom and I am glad that there is a clearly drawn dividing line between the two. As for organized religion, I can agree without rebuttal that caution is necessary when treading into such establishments, and examples are plentiful these days.

I understood the points and opinions expressed above, I just wanted to make sure it was said that this statement, as do all, have exceptions. Fortunately, DOPR, you tuned in most accurately into my thought frequency when you made the "spirituality vs. religion" comment, which is where I believe I was heading with my point. :)