Sure, there are good things about religion, and in most people's hands, it is a positive influence in their lives, and the lives of those around them. However, the overwhelming negatives brought into the world as a direct result of the conception of religion have the ability to drown out much of the good.

• Pros — there are a few key benefits of religion that reflect the experience of the majority of religious people. The sense of community and belonging that religion brings is a powerful need for many, if not most, individuals. (The word "religion" itself comes from the Latin, re ligere, literally "to bind back together" — as in bringing the community back together.) Religious belief itself, apart from its organizational aspects, seems to give many people emotional comfort that they don't seem to find anywhere else (though, in our opinion, they aren't looking hard enough). Also, religious organizations are known to be great contributors to charity and those in need...but see the "cons" below.
• Cons — there are so many, even though they can be summed up in just a few items. There's proselytizing — pressure put on others in order to convince them to believe what you believe — which is annoying at best, and can lead to serious problems (such as violence) at worst. Along with this fervent conviction that theirs is the only correct religion comes the motivation for the religious to attempt to have their beliefs legislated as law, governing even those who do not believe in the same ideas. Religion has also been the driving force behind wars (like the Crusades and the ongoing violence in the Middle East), oppression (like the Spanish Inquisition), genocide (like the Holocaust), and terrorism (like Islamic and Irish radicals) throughout history. Additionally, as pertains to that wonderful charity work we mentioned above — while some religious charitable organizations are truly praiseworthy, in many cases such "charity" is either led by the corrupt or deranged religious elite, or it is contingent upon the needy individual's declared acceptance of the "benefactor's" religious beliefs. Religion has also provided a basis for those who look for any reason to indulge in intolerance, discrimination, hatred, and violence.