Geneviev wrote:-snip-
I don't doubt that religion has positive effects, and I'd wager likely more benefits come from the more moderate (yet not to the point of 'casual') versions than the fundamentalist ones. Even though I don't believe in religions, I can't honestly say that there wouldn't be a huge sense of purpose and belonging in being the creation of a deity and the entire point of the cosmos itself.
The whole objective-vs-subjective thing is for a different thread, but I respect your point on that too, even if I disagree.
I'd also oppose the assertion that religion is a plague. It's like any part of human life - it has goods bits and bad bits. We just need to keep working at fostering and keeping the good bits, and avoiding the bad bits. Great evil has been done in the name of gods, but so has a lot of good.