Religion: Good or Bad for Society?

[GlamGal]

Is religion a good thing for society or a bad thing?  If you look at history you see both good and bad.  Wars fought in the name of religion while at the same time those like Mother Theresa who used her religious beliefs as the reason for devorting her life to help the poorest of poor.  There’s Gandhi who seemed to take the best from various religions and became a great leader.

Looking at the world today you still see both good and bad done in the name of religion.  Terrorism and war as well as generosity and kindness.  I’ve heard some say that their religion is what’s needed to give society a moral blueprint and straying from that is what causes society to decay.  So if their belief system says not to steal, or murder and to show generosity to the poor that would seem to be a benefit to society.  But what about those that use their religious moral belief system.as a justification to hate, to discriminate and sometimes even to kill?  Would we be better off in a world where there was no religion?  Does religion do more harm or more good?  I think that is a question not easily answered.