What benefits does religion have?

[Anonymous]

Updates:

[CountessSarah]

None. Everything religion offers is placebo.

It doesn't help the individual deal with mortality, it gives them an excuse not to have to. Often to the detriment of the person. So much left unsaid when you think you're going to meet the same people again after you both die.

It doesn't offer any sort of moral system - It has moral pronouncements, but no system that would allow the believer to analyse some new moral issue that their book couldn't have known about. I'd also add that believers just pick and choose what parts of their holy texts they follow anyway, so their holy texts morality is just ignored in favour of the individuals own opinions.
This is why we rarely see theists at odds with their own holy texts writings. Even in cases where it clearly justifies slavery.

Religion sometimes offers a social group, but this can hardly be spun to religions favour when secular groups achieve the exact same thing.

I can't think of any other typical things theists like to put forth as good parts of their beliefs off the top of my head. But every example I've been presented with was either placebo, untrue or not unique to religion.

[Alexandrubaschet08]

Religion helps to keep the peace, to charitable actions, to help the believers to be better with each other. I've never heard anything bad said in a church. Religion urges us to help, to forgive, to care for others. An old saying from my country says "do what the pope says, not what the pope does". Because priests urge the world to do good deeds. Everyone brings to mind the Middle Ages, when the Catholic Church committed those atrocities. While other religions have done their job. It was not the church that was evil, people who used the name of God and the churches for wars brought religion under this position. What is wrong with religion?

[Lionman95]

Religion can give life peace and meaning. It can answer the question of life and give you something to live for. Religion helped to see myself in better eyes.

[JCNEEGAR]

Not going to hell for an eternity is an enough benefit I think

[John_Doesnt]

You can meet lots of chicks who are sexually repressed.

[Iron_Man]

Jesus Christ saves your life and you live forever plus he blesses you

[najekim]

A crutch for the gullible and weak minded incapable of self-determination or self guidance.

[In_Trance]

Depends on your frame of mind. Theology is a philosophy like all others. It's your perception

[havingfun101]

Making people controllable, who wouldn't be otherwise.

[Anonymous]

None