Something I was thinking of this week. If there is a God, it may certainly help to be religious, but an all-merciful being would not condemn someone (IMHO) on whether or not they were Methodist, Mormon, Muslim, Jewish, or Buddhist.
If we continue to live multiple lives until we reach a certain peace with the universe, than religion would only help in terms of how it organizes and gives discipline to our lives (allowing us to reach nirvana faster perhaps).
But if there is no God, isn't being involved in mainstream religion really as harmless as say, being a die-hard Manchester United or Boston RedSox or Green Bay Packers fan? It gives people meaning in their lives, a sense of community and tradition, something to comfort them during tough times, and a sense of identity. Too often I find athiests and agnostics talking about how things would be better without religion by pointing to suicide bombers for Allah or hard-core Christian right groups who want to see America become a theocracy. That's like saying soccer should be banned because of hooligans or college football because the frat boys rioted when their team won the Rose Bowl.
I think there are plenty of valid reasons why people join religions to fufill their spiritual needs, and I get offended when people scoff at me for being a superstitious throwback to the stone age because I have decided to once again become active in my local church.
Maybe I'm wrong here, but are the religious really any better or worse than, say, hardcore sports fans? I may think people who love the New York Yankees are nuts, and I may argue about whether they are the greatest team of all time, but as long as the Yankees fan doesn't swing at me for disagreeing I'm happy for him that he has something that so defines his life and gives him such a sense of purpose.
Why is there such a need among some athiests to attack believers, declare us all idiots, proclaim religion the evil contoling force and opiate of the masses, etc. If you don't believe in any higher purpose in life, then religion is no more pointless an activity as holding season tickets and painting your face in home team colors. I may not get many points of the Islamic faith, such as why women seem to me to have far more rigid rules imposed on them than men. I also don't get the whole non-drinking even in moderation thing. But if Muslims are happy with these rules (and many are), then I have no right to say Islam is an extremist religion, any more than I have the right to say Yankee fans are idiots simply because I don't share their love of New York or Babe Ruth.
I agree that non-believers have the right to defend their beliefs if pushed by evangelicals, but why such an outcry that humanity needs to move past religion?
If you are a believer, I think religion can still be compared to sports. Being a big sports fan may help you keep in shape, but not necessarily. In fact, it may hinder you because you spend your time in the stands drinking beer and scarfing hot dogs instead of actually getting out and being active. Religion is the same way. It may help you find spiritual enlightenment, but you may just as easily be trapped in dogma or church politics and end up being a self-righteous pharisee.