Religion has its benefits. For one it functions as a placebo, helping people face hardships and the such. Then as a social aspect, it's cheaper to regulate people of the society than law and police.
But religion can also be the cause of deaths, discrimination and bad prejudices.
biblical fundamentalists for example, has to deal with their cognitive dissonance regarding science. I'm quick to point out to those that claim the bible not to be errant, that the sun does not revolve around the earth. The conversation from here on is rather pointless, but you can understand the problem religion causes with disconnect of communication. It's like politics.
then the religious, just like jw's, have their how faulty view of themselves as having the higher moral ground. I heard at "at least she's a Christian". The person who said this is known for her gossip and pettiness. They delude themselves in thinking of something they don't understand as being right. Moral absolutes coming from a God that out did hitler.
to combate these problems, it does not come from atheism or theism. It comes from humanism, philosophies of life and the understanding of moral psychology.
jhine: here the Salvation Army board members wants gays dead. There also was a scandle of how they use their money, and their prejudice to other non-Christian people.
