Debate: Would the world be better without all religions?
Side: No

Religion has given society many things. Some very good arguments have been made that society itself is the product of religion and I think the biggest proof of such is modern Western society. It is founded upon Hebrew/Greek/Celt roots. Our laws, customs, morals and world view were heavily influenced by the religions of these ancestors. The 10 commandments is the corner stone of Western law. More so people need a belief of some sort greater than their own interests to form a cooperative society. Religion is in almost all societies that very glue. That reason we put self interest below the needs of others. Without it society cannot survive. Another interesting element of this argument is that people treat organized Atheists like they were not a religion. Many religions including the worshipers of the Null God as I call them have no deity or so many deities that you might as well not have one. Religion can be defined by a set of beliefs and code of conduct held above all other activity. Patriotism if taken too far becomes a form of religious worship of nation. Many a cult has been created worshiping kings based on this very concept. Organized religion is merely religion of many people which includes dogma associated with the religion, usually places of worship and a culture that comes with membership in that religion. Null Godders have dogma. For example they believe that war is caused by religion. That is one of their greatest arguments against religion. Yet many of the wars they claim are religious are in fact more mundane. The Crusades for example. Inspired by a Pope who was tired of seeing the Christian world torn apart in petty feuds and who sought out a common enemy to unite Christians and give Europe's war like tendencies a constructive outlet. Led by nobles who went more for the land and wealth they could wrest from the holy lands than for any sense of religion, opposed by Muslim leaders who defended not holy lands but lands they kept because it enriched them. Fought mostly by people who went because they were ordered to do so. A few crusades like the childrens crusade really were religious but overall the crusades were just a giant land grab for both sides. Other things religion has contributed has indeed been science. In fact more than one scientific discovery has been made by monks trying to prove points in their religious beliefs through scientific methods. Science itself can be a religion to some. This was especially common around 1900 when many at the time worshiped science. Hospitals and medical care came to exist primarily because of religion. It has been religious institutions throughout history which practiced most medical care. It has been religious institutions that gave us history. Europe for example would have no history if not for monks having transcribed them and Muslims having preserved European history during the dark ages of Europe. In Asia again it has been primarily monks who served as historians. Without religion, Christian religions especially there'd be no charity. No support system for the poor, for the disabled or the injured. It was Christian groups who mostly battled unsanitary conditions in US cities leading to revolutionary changes in how cities ran saving the lives of 100s of millions over the last 200 years. Religion has it's bad side. Prohibition is a great example of how excesses in religion can create far more damage than the ill they seed to redress. When you balance the sum however religion has contributed far more good than bad.