Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. During the last few years I have got one more reason to eliminate theism. The church has always been against new revolutionary scientific theories such as Heliocentrism, the theory of a spherical earth, evolution etc. They even critisised Newton for reducing god to the laws of gravity. Religion and superstition consolidates our ignorance, and relies on authority and revelation.
Science is democratic.
If you and I come to a disagreement on how much a stone weights we can use a scale as a court of appeal. The method is democratic since it gives the same result no matter who conducts the experiment. Revelation, on the other hand, is authorative. When people claim revelation, they almost always have extremely diversive ideas, and their followers can't use reason, logic and common sence when they are to chose who to follow. Instead they follow a charismatic leader.