The Spirit of Religion

I believe that "Babylon, as used in the Book of Revelation, is another word for the spirit of religion. Since I am a pastor of a church, the reader might wonder what I have against religion. The answer is, nothing, and everything.
The following essay may sound as though I do not recognize that throughout the millennia of earth's history there have been men and women of integrity and self-sacrifice who have served in religious institutions. I am aware there have been truly noble Christian missionaries who have been sent forth by Christian denominations.
So in reviewing what I have to say, I trust the reader will understand that I am not attacking the multitudes of selfless people who have given their lives in order to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom. Rather, my hope is to point out a spirit that, in one way or another, will murder Christ wherever Christ appears.
Babylon, "confusion," is the New Testament term for the spirit of religion.
Then they said, “Come, LET US BUILD ourselves a city, with a tower that REACHES TO THE HEAVENS, so that we may MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, “IF AS ONE PEOPLE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE THEY HAVE BEGUN TO DO THIS, THEN NOTHING THEY PLAN TO DO WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM. COME, LET US GO DOWN AND CONFUSE THEIR LANGUAGE SO THEY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:4-9)