If religion was a necessary evil -- why was it more evil than necessary?

Ah, but religion is only partly a by-product of fear (not to take issue with the great man, but his analysis here is focused rather than broad-brush). Religion was also about attempting to explain the inexplicable, and about laying down a combination spiritual-secular set of social rules. While possibly in the first of these, it was more evil than necessary, in the second, in the construction of early societies along what seemed to be logical lines, it's arguable that religion was highly successful and necessary. It's not necessary any more of course, it's just that people are loath to give up a comforting and historical fairy tale. But in the early days, I reckon religion was pretty much equally necessary and evil.

Well the Nazis came to power out of fear. Religion is not necessary at all in my opinion.

I'll never understand why a person would do something so goofy as to come onto a religious board and say stupid things about people's beliefs for no other reason than to pick an arguement...........

* flicking a booger at you*