religion that loses

Monday April 2nd, Mark 14:1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. The chief priests and teachers of the law were a part of the ruling elite. They had figured out their niche under this foreign domination. They were also aware that if they did not maintain the order, Pilot would just come in with the military and maintain order his way. Pilots way would involve lots of bloodshed and that niche of power and prestige enjoyed by the chief priests and teachers of the law would be gone. They were the large landowners that possessed some of the land that Herod had taken from the peasants. They were the ones who had the authority and power to rule under Pilate, maintain control and collect the taxes, and reap a good profit, while Pilate lived in more pleasant accommodations in Caesarea by the sea. It was just another case of religion and politics working together hand in hand, to maintain control and the status quo. It is the natural tendency of any religious organization, whether they call themselves organized or not. When it happens, it is always the integrity of the religion that loses. How are these same scenarios being played out today?