Submitted by: kirkland on Monday November 13th, 2006 at 08:55 PM EST

Elton John's comments that organized religion justifies anti-gay discrimination have sparked mixed responses from the gay community.

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people," John said in an interview published Saturday in the London Observer's Music Monthly Magazine.

"I would ban religion completely," he said. "Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings."

He added: "The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion? Why aren't they having a conclave? Why aren't they coming together?"

» Full story @ Planet Out