Religion does more harm than good

Regarding the good and benefits religion brings to society, whether a religion's beliefs are proven true or logical or not has little to do with what I am about to consider. What matters is that religion as a whole has indeed spurred mankind on to greater heights. Firstly, each religion has their laws that are mostly for good. For example, Christanity forbids steadling and killing. Buddhism strongly discourages harming any living thing. (This is actually why monks gain a lot of weight—they cannot waste food, most of which are 'offerings' from people. They have to finish every bit of what's ordered or given. Yes, even if it is meat, they have to force it down. —Personal interview of a monk.) Therefore, most believers do good and hence contribute positively in the form of charity or goodwill to society. Religion has indeed created a lot of controversy regarding laws such as gay marriage or extreme conservativeness, but it also has very successfully propelled people to create civilisation out of the savage. This is where my second point comes in. Someone said that religion without science is blind, but science without religion is lame. The implication behind the sentence is that whether one admits it or not, majority of humans need something to inspire and push them towards their goals. They are unable to function without sufficient motivation. Religion therefore provides meaning and purpose in life. Having a deeply felt belief system can help someone cope with many of the perplexing and distressing questions that surround the meaning of existence, for example. They don't necessarily need proof that their gods are real. If people are satisfied with pure faith, just as some are satisfied with a simple apartment or others a lavish mansion, what good would come from dismissing them? Take depressed people for example—they find no meaning in life. Either unable to derive the needed motivation, willing to believe in something in order to feel better, or forced to do it, people turn to religion. Third, having a religion relieves a lot of unneeded stress. Belief in religion allows a person to dump all their responsibility and mental pressure in a make-belief (or not) entity that they believe will never fail them. Religion reduces pressure from the many choices humans have to make in their lives. It offers a set of rules to people, and those who accept them are free to worry about other, more important matters instead of forever questioning and shifting their beliefs around. It is certainly not the best solution, but a person's willpower is a limited resource. Willpower that has been used on insignificant decisions will add up and eat away at a person's tolerance and patience, resulting in increased levels of anxiety. Therefore with religion, a person has at least stablised a large part of their life. A recent National Institute of Mental Health study, for example, found that people who consider religious beliefs to be a central element in their lives experience lower amounts of depression than does a control group. Below I reiterate my point. One who does things in the name of religion may believe at least one of the following, whether they admit it or not: I accept my destiny and it was not really my decision to make because my path has already been chosen. I am not, as a person, liable for the consequences due to the above, therefore my conscience is appeased. I will continue to have everything I have so long I remain in my beliefs. And so on.If you notice, this is actually a person giving an omniscient entity power over their actions which results in the person not taking the blame of wrongdoing and so continuing through life unscarred. The person doesn't have to worry about what happened because 'it was supposed to happen' and they 'couldn't have done anything to prevent it'. Besides, why should they worry? After all, the true intent was not theirs. It allows a person to give up their responsibilities, blame and guilt into faith—that they are having the best path chosen for them. They are in control, but yet, when it's convenient, utterly powerless. Religion is hence, a very useful and effective tool —or illusion to some— for us humans to better ourselves. Whether or not I approve of this behaviour, I cannot deny that it is extremely efficient in getting people through their lives. It enables people to have a direction, a goal, a duty in life—things that they would not spawn such a devotion to otherwise. It is with this devotion that stemmed bit by bit from many individuals that we humans have created technology, revolutionised industry and achieved globalisation. Willpower as a limited resource: http://psycnet.apa.org... Faith reduces stress: http://www.dummies.com...