Religion bad for people and countries?

Let me count the ways - an occasional series, number 87:

If you can be made to believe in a god you can be made to believe in anything, and you will be. That is the tragedy of our times, and indeed the tragedy of most times.

Democracy should be about challenging, questioning, debating what you are told by the politicians who, by the temporary mandate you gave them with your vote, rule your country. Religion is about accepting, unquestioningly, what some father figure tells you is true. To be religious is to be the ultimate dittohead. But in a country where a large proportion of the population is extremely religious, the mindset of the people is not one where leaders in any sphere will be questioned. And when you combine political and religious leadership, either formally or informally, in one person, then they have been given a free pass to say and do what they like, unchallenged.

And a mindset that says that faith is strengthened by the lack of evidence - any evidence at all - for your belief in something, is a state of mind that will destroy democracy. We recently had the extraordinary (well it would once have been extraordinary, now it can just lead to a shrug of the shoulders) sequence of events regarding Iran. A CIA report showed that there was no evidence for Iran developing nuclear weapons. Dick Cheney said that this just proved that they were doing so, the less evidence, apparently, the stronger the case. This is a religious way of thinking.

The inculcation of religion into every aspect of society and politics will destroy democracy. Religion is faith based and therefore irrational. Democracy is reality based or it is doomed.