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To get the ball rolling I'll state my opinion on it.

As a species, religion has held us back for countless years on a scientific front. The "Dark Ages" were named that because of the complete halt religion put on scientific advancement. Approximately 1000 years of no progress. The other aspects of it cannot go overlooked as there have been the crusades brought about by religious conquest, the various religious wars from all over the world and the exclusion plus hatred pointed towards those outside of the "good" religion.

Sure this has changed, but for thousands of years it caused un-needed hardship for those who chose to speak out against religion, or even for those who didn't, but were accused of not participating in the chosen religion.

There have been ups and downs caused by the religious background of the world, but for me it is a frivolous practice meant only to inspire fear and complacency among the masses.

My view of religion (being a regular church goer) is it is meant to inspire hope and forgiveness, to treat everybody better. The "Golden Rule" of my religion is "Do unto others as you would have them do to you". Many religions have different beliefs however so religion as a whole is hard to discuss having all sorts from Buddhism to Satanic worshiping. Fear is used in some but in others it is not. To define all religion as the same is like to define all fruit as the same.

I'm merely stating the common practices of the majority of religions around the world. You cannot deny that there have been wars started by almost every religion out there, that each religion states a general "if you aren't one of us you aren't able to get salvation" motto.

However, it is true that at the base of them, all religions are good, but it is through religion that people have spread "evil" or used it to their own ends.

I will admit that it does help people, but overall I still hold that it has held back our species far more than it has helped.

ah, good ol religion. my gram always told me to never argue politics and religion but when do i ever listen?

but anyway i like wat hurt was saying how religion is used to give people the golden rule and keep sanity on earth but, it always has a backfiring effect. a sinner will sin be cause he has already sinned. they get the mind set wth im going to hell anyway and we get criminals.( this may be very indirect but u get my point) also yes this has created server crusades and why? cuz u have 1 minor difference in ur religion. its done just as much bad as it has done good.

I disagree, I say it's caused more harm than good. How many millions of people killed in the name of "The One True God."?

Also, I like the point you brought up about the "Golden Rule"
Do we need religion for that? Do you really think that, without religion, people would simply walk out of their homes and brutally murder the first person they see? No. Obviously there is a moral code outside of religion, which seems to work better than the one IN religion.
My point: Religion says "Thou shalt not kill" -- (Unless you are of a different faith)
Moral code outside of religion says: "Don't murder." and that's it. No side notes, no corrections, nothing. Just 'Don't murder.'

It seems to me that it makes more sense outside of religion than it does inside of it.

Im not so sure. i still think religion influenced the moral code you speak of with the 10 commandments. without those one is to assume an eye for an eye. you kill my kin ill kill yours.

do not forget, MANY charitable organizations are religious funded.

The golden rule may not be dependant on religion but never the less it is part of it

The 10 commandments are our guidelines of life, do not forget they came before laws. there are some laws merely based off them.

Once again I have to disagree, you still assume that without the "10 commandments" we would not have come to the same conclusions.

I don't believe in "eye for an eye" and neither does the majority of the world, religious or secular. It's not because of religion that I have my moral code, and people shouldn't be dependent on it for theirs. If you do it solely for the purpose of your religion, then is it truly your moral code? Or just the one you've adopted because you've been told to?
On that note, if you say you use it because you agree with it, then would you not have believed it if it were not connected to religion?
All I'm saying is a moral code is personal, not connected to religion.

For the charitable organizations, do you discredit the founders and put the full merit on religion?
Was it not their inner "good nature" that got them to do it?
Just because they are religious, does not mean that religion started the charity.
And yes I do admit that there is the flip side to it, not all wars were caused by religion itself, it was just an excuse for the person to start a war, but without excuses, wars don't start. Where as a charitable organization would still have gone through.

how about the concept of a ruler? religion created that all (god). w/o the idea of a ruler we would be trying to rule each other, im not saying this is 100% i just wanna hear ur thoughts on that.