"Religion can promote a "herd mentality," but that doesn't make it an insidious mind control institution."

THose terrorists who struck during Sept 11th believe that those who die defending the religion will go to heaven and get 72 black eyed virgins and 28 pearl boys.

More have been slain in the name of religion than any other name.

When the church became the official religion of Rome, non Christians were thrown to the Lions (before, they used to throw the CHristians to the lIons), the Inquisition, Witch Trials, slavery, and the Holocaust were all done in the name of religion.

The Islamic jihads, their own slavery, the continued honor killing of women is done in the name of religion.

The female infantcides in India are done in the name of religion.

The Aztecs and Mays engaged in human sacrifices to their gods. So did African groups (enagaging in human sacrifices to their gods).

Those considered unwanted in African societies, like deformed or sick infants, criminals, all multiple births, people of enemy ethnic groups, were subjected to human sacrifice. Ditto for the Native American groups.

In pre Christian Europe you had various religious groups who engaged in human sacrifices. And actually, killings like in the Salem Witch Trials and Incquision were arguably a form of human sacrifice.

It seems easier to obey your leaders orders to kill people if you think that it is divine will that those orders be carried out!