I would love to wrap it up, and for the simple reason it has run its course as a thread. But as a non religious person, I could agree with the sentiment of Don T's statement.

However, if I had any religious faith, and especially if I signed up to any particular doctrine of that faith...

To say that religion is intrinsically neither good or bad is to call it benign and lacking the qualities needed in order to be a moral compass for people to sign up to.

Surely religion cannot be dismissed as easily as that? The bit Don wrote in bold about it being what men choose to do with it, now how about that statement? As it is man made anyway, doesn't that make it the sum of what it is rather than an aberration of what it should be, according to what you think it should be?

Religion is many things, but both believers and rational people would agree it is not intrinsically neither good or bad? That dismisses religion far more effectively than I can!