I've got some more on religion, although my thoughts don't just pertain to religion, but to the human condition in general. I think that's what I want to say. Anyway, religion figures in because it tends to keep people down, in the sense that they get a false sense of where out destiny lies in general.

With a lot of religions, people are focused on what happens after we die. Of course I believe nothing happens, we simply cease to exist. Our destiny as a species, however, lies in what happens with us in the future. Human beings are the only life we know of, so far, in the universe that are able to think beyond their own sphere of influence and manipulate their environment for extreme habitats that we couldn't otherwise occupy. These two abilities will allow us to eventually leave the planet for good, and it is inevitable if we don't destroy ourselves beforehand.

With religion, we are taught to focus not on people as a race, but ourselves and our destiny beyond the grave. People, as a group, have amazing abilities, as evidenced in what we have as yet accomplished. I just imagine what would happen if everyone focused on a single goal for the human race, instead of just our personal individual destinies.