Do you think RELIGION as a whole has helped or hurt human kind?

Hurt: Dark ages, current middle east, 90% of wars that were based or justified by religion.

In the beginning, it helped humankind develop into a civilization. From the renaissance period to now, I must say that it has hindered development for humankind. On personal levels, it has helped many, even today, but also many use the "I'm a <insert religion here>" to appear more above those who are atheist. Rather poor argument, but still. Religion at this point, at least in modernized countries, has simply become a tool. Shame.

I don't subscribe to religion or god, but I think on a whole it's helped society.

Rules like "don't have adultery" benefit society because it stops the spread of disease and prevents unwanted pregnancies.

"kosher" is a very simple idea... it basically means things need to be clean.... they had no idea why (it prevents the spread of bacteria and infection) but knew that it worked.

Humans are extremely curious creatures and having an explanation for the difficult questions in life "why are we here" etc makes us feel comfortable. It makes the inevitable death seem less mysterious. And less scary.

Some of the best scientists in history were religious people. Mendel, Da Vinci, etc.

The humanity is free to choose the way...

Religion can help someone that is looking for a best way in the life...

Some religions promises to save the soul... that is a way to maintain the person paying... but it is better then nothing.

When a person is linked to a religion he always reflects about the meaning of life... and so he can find the perfect way... he can change to other movements.

Religions are a magnet for demons and vampires who cluster at the gates to watch those full of life and happiness enter like lambs to the slaughter. Then they put on masks and surround the target and harrass it until the target is wounded enough to be not a threat and then religions move in for the spiritual kill.

Go visit a monastery and watch what goes on there.

I guess they call the Dark ages the 'dark ages' for a reason. Before that there was the golden age of Greece where society, philosophy, and learning flourished. At some point it all went downhill from there. That must have been during the heart of the dark age era where Christianity was more or less in its prime.

i think that religion has divided man kind, i mean before anything it was just one religion and then people didn't like it so they made their own and it's just gotten worse from there. i personally don't like the term religion because people take it too litterally because if people just go by religion they are missing out on so much more than what God intended and people based only on religion will just bring about choas! i mean look at the puritans back in the days!

people use religion for all the wrong reasons. if people interpreted religion for the right reasons like helping others than it would help the world. In America it seems people just want to appear to be good Christians without being good Christians

Hurt due to that people have been killed, tortured, displaced, isolated (the list can go on for ever) in the name of religion for ages and it continues to this day!

Religion killed lots of people in the past... I still think it is affecting mankind negatively.

Although I do see some purpose in it (i.e. having someone you can pray/hope to - Jesus, Buddha, etc.)