"It could therefore be descrived as simply a useless appendage."

In some cases, yes, Rinslinger. In others, no. It would all depend on which government you were talking about, and in which time period.

My point was that people find evil ways to justify their attacks on other people with or without the aid of religion, and have done so ever since Og clubbed Mog and dragged Mog's woman off.

Likewise, people have done many good and noble things both with and without the aid of religion too. And they continue to do so.

You can tell in which way people are prejudiced about it by which side they consistently attack, and which side they consistently blame for everything, as well as by which side's excesses they conveniently turn a blind eye to. If they are not unreasonably prejudiced, then they will see both good and evil in people's use of religion down through the ages, and therefore they will not condemn religion merely because it is not something they themselves subscribe to.