I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday school and I collected all the little stickers and put them in my book. But the reality is that organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate.

In this quote, Elton John reflects on the contrast between his early admiration for the teachings of Jesus Christ and the more negative experiences he has had with organised religion. He fondly recalls the stories from Sunday school, where he was drawn to the moral lessons of compassion, love, and kindness that are central to Christianity. As a child, he enjoyed the simple, positive aspects of the faith, symbolized by the act of collecting stickers and putting them in his book—a small, innocent expression of religious enthusiasm. However, as he grew older, John became disillusioned with the institutionalized nature of religion, observing that it often promotes intolerance rather than the compassion it preaches.

Elton John’s criticism is aimed at the way organised religion can sometimes distort its foundational principles. He argues that instead of fostering the love and acceptance promised in religious teachings, it often turns people into hateful followers who mindlessly conform, likening them to lemmings—animals known for following the group without thought. This metaphor conveys his belief that organized religions can strip individuals of their critical thinking and promote harmful groupthink that leads to division and prejudice.

The idea that organised religion “doesn’t seem to work” touches on a broader critique of how religious institutions have been used to control and manipulate followers rather than promote the authentic values of faith. Elton John’s statement reflects his disappointment with how religion, in its institutional form, can sometimes contradict its spiritual goals, creating environments of intolerance and hate rather than the compassion and understanding that Jesus’ teachings advocate. His experience, which has likely been shaped by his own struggles as an openly gay man, highlights the ways in which religious institutions can sometimes exclude rather than embrace people who are different.

At the same time, Elton John’s quote also reflects his respect for the moral values espoused by Jesus Christ, suggesting that while he values the message of Christianity, he remains critical of the ways in which that message is often conveyed through traditional religious structures. This is a nuanced perspective that separates the ideal of religious teachings from the real-world application of those teachings by organised institutions. His words invite reflection on how spirituality and faith can be expressed in a way that is more inclusive, compassionate, and less driven by dogma or exclusion.