Both you and mokantz make good points. The message of Christ has been so useful in my life, I cannot imagine what it would be like to be struggling with life's problems without it. I can't say the same for church teachings, but I have met and learned from certain clerics on my journey who have been good teachers and helped me find my way.

If there were no church, who will be the teachers? We cannot all study sufficiently to obtain the necessary knowledge and I don't think the bible is sufficiently self-explanatory or unambiguous.