Haha, I've just finished reading this thread in full, and I've got to say that I'm very intrigued by many of the arguments here. Now, you'll have to forgive me in this post: I'm slightly drunk, but I know what my views on this sort of issue are for now, in the basics. Strangely enough, as multi-sided as the glourious religion versus atheism argument is, I think it's easy to have a fairly one-sded, yet fair view, and I'll explain why I think this, personally.
Religion. That's a funny thing isn't it? Bible, Bible, creationism, creationism, made-up, yes? What's that got to do with the gritty reality of an uptown street? Or maybe, what's that got to do with the robber who's just stabbed a completely innocent citizen to steal the little cash he's got? Madness isn't it, to believe in a higher power. I'm maintaining, myself, that hope, belief in a higher power is not a community decision, but an individual decision. Forget about even the friendliest of independant religious communities for one moment and think to the people who might believe in religion. Maybe it keeps them going that little bit more in what is otherwise a shithole of a life. Maybe it's a symbol at the same time, that they will come out of their tunnel of a problem stronger as a result. I've read parts of the Bible, mostly New Testament, lots of times. Do I believe in God? I have no fucking idea. Do I believe society was created from the ground up? Not intending to put many years of study to shame, but I don't fucking know. I've looked in the Bible when I've felt bad at a particular point, because the option is there. If a higher power can help me, let them help me, for fuck's sake. I don't give a shit about politics in this sense. Politics in this case, is irrelvant to me as a person.
Oh, sorry: religious organisations that take advantage of what they have to manipulate others, extreme examples taking the spotlight thanks to a very insightful social institution known as the media. Oh, you know, there's this thing I've heard about that might be more responsible for that, but I have to be quite subtle in linking it, because between you and me, some people don't like to hear it. We shouldn't be looking at that though, because if we don't, we're traitors aren't we? Sorry guys. Sorry for not looking at religion, race, sexuality, political opinion, subculture, psychological history, education experience, among other things. I'm really sorry. It doesn't spur, in our western societies, from the thing I'm talking about. No, sorry.
I think I've wasted your time enough now, if you're reading this. This was criminally brief in what I think overall, but please, you know?