Religion is a tool like the internet or like a saw or even like human hands. It cannot do anything unless someone uses it. Unless someone contributes. There will always be poor uses for a tool, just as there will be good. There will always be influences because that tool is there, once again both good and bad.
The part of religion that isn't a tool is the Faith it instills. Faith is, as I define it, a form of Love. It is the knowing of light, even when in darkness. It is the search for wisdom when all seems lost. It is the desire to continue even when all seems hopeless. Everyone needs Faith within something and most people do, even if they don't realize it.
I'm not saying that the world would be changed for the better or for the worse if religion was dropped. What I'm saying is that religion is extraordinarily different person to person. Some perceive it as the source of all evil while others find it to be the only thing that keeps them going throughout the day. Some people use it as an excuse to hurt, others use it as a motivation to help. Some insult it, others praise it. Religion, like life, is a very speculative thing.
