Critique on Kalama Sutta: Is Buddhism bad for Buddhism? Kalama Sutta is a key part of the Buddhist teaching that tells you to question everything, not to blindly follow any dogma or teacher. This is one of the features that make this religion/philosophy so special
however this view seems to be contradictory in many Buddhist circles.
Many monks and Buddhists shave their heads and wear mallahs to identify themselves more with the doctrine (ego and attachment) or perhaps to fit in better within the "Buddhist gang" as if this dogma was the ultimate truth and they may get offended when you "dare" to question their "faith" or their idolized masters. 

They rarely question the Sangha with psychology, existential philosophy, other religions and they seem to fall in love with it following this process of dependency by illusionment/attachment/joy and ultimately doubt disillusionment/detachment/sadness which is clearly explained in the Buddhist sutra itself. 

Osel Hita (a Spaniard who has appointed by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of lama Yeshe) quit Buddhism and complained about how much suffering he had to endure during his childhood nevertheless this is rarely debated within Buddhist circles. In some Buddhist countries children are indoctrinated in the dogma therefore they see it as truth and don't question it therefore it is used as a political tool for the masses.

It is true that the Sangha may have saved some peoples lives and so has the army, Scientology and the Christian Church but this has to do with psychology, purpose in life and mental health and it doesn't make Buddhism any better.

Meditation has been proven by the World Health Organization to be beneficial for mental health nevertheless you don't hear much from monks that you don't really need to be a Buddhist to meditate. 

Some features of the dogma such us Bardos, Rebirth or (reincarnation), Samsara or even Enlightenment have vague definitions or are impossible to double check because they are based of the subjective experiences of masters or monks and it's up to the practitioner to believe them or not and have the same credibility has "original sin, virgin birth, Heaven, etc." and even less than the Simulation Hypothesis. Some people left Buddhism because their views on the oneness of consciousness or karma were not compatible with the view shared by the particular sect (Zen, Chan, Tibetan, etc). 

Siddhārtha Gautama was a dissident of believes the vedas to attain enlightenment and escape the wheel so Samsara so was Jesus Christ, and Lao Tse and the main spiritual figures in human history. Isn't Kalama Sutta encouraging you to do just that? Isn't Kalama Sutta telling you that it's better to be a free-thinker than a Buddhist, at least in some cases? Isn't it Buddhistic to go beyond Buddhism?

This question is an adaptation of the Reptilian Conspiracy vs Buddhism question which was not accepted in this forum and Criticism on the Buddhism from Wikipedia and both articles here and here.


  “A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he
  generally believes to be true.“ Demosthenes  384-322 BC
  
  “Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want
  their illusions destroyed.” Friedrich Nietzsche
  
  “You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not
  based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe”  Carl
  Sagan
  
  “If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at
  least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” ―
  René Descartes
  
  “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God.
  Non-violence is the means of realising Him.“ Mahatma Gandhi
  
  John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you
  free.”
  
  “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not
  going all the way, and not starting.” Buddha? (or not...doesn't
  matter)
Since the Kalamas were confused in what they should or not believe, The Buddha instructed that they should be pragmatic and adopt only views and conduct which would lead to their well-being and peace of mind insted of keep bothering themselves with unverifiable competing doctrines which would lead to nowhere but to stressful mind states.

This is unrelated to the examples you give regarding the traditional customs of the monks and the Sangha because the customs are not harmful per se, they may be actually a source of joy, which serves to propel the practice. It all comes to how you relate to it, as long as there is Right View, there is no harm. 

The monks would be sabotaging themselves if they start raise against traditional customs just because their wrong personal view (disregarding the issue of dukkha) say so 
(which is conceit, ingratitude and cling to self-view). The practice delineated by the Buddha intend to end all stress building up the proper conditions, and to do so, is necessary to settle the attention to the proper frame of reference. Any other preoccupation is merely the mind being dragged by its passion over sensory phenomena. 


  This world is in bondage to attachments, clingings [sustenances], &amp;
  biases. But one such as this does not get involved with or cling to
  these attachments, clingings, fixations of awareness, biases,  or
  obsessions; nor is he resolved on ‘my self.’ He has no uncertainty or
  doubt that mere stress, when arising, is arising; stress, when passing
  away, is passing away. In this, his knowledge is  independent of
  others. It’s to this extent, Kaccāna, that there is right view.
  
  SN 12:15


For complementary explanantion of why clinging to personal views are nothing more than fuel to the fetters, See: AN 10:93 and MN 63 

Regarding the rebirth doctrine as it is decribed, it's  a attempt to explain a insight of  the Buddha himself. So it's suppose, for those who follows the Buddha's footsteps, to have such  experience (whatever it may be) as well at some point.
No one is demanding you to believe in it. However, aside of the feeling of samvega (disenchantment due the briefness nature of the sensory phenomena), having conviction in rebirth, will turn the 
practioner much more eager to go forth.