11 disadvantages of Religion in the world

Across the globe there are many religions and most people follow one of them. The biggest belief systems, in terms of followers, are Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Smaller religions include Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, Judaism, plus many more.
Religious people often argue that their belief system supplies their life with meaning, moral guidance, a social structure, as well as a sense of comfort in a harsh and challenging world.

There are arguments not to have a religion, however, and I list eleven of the main reasons used by non-religious people to justify non-belief.

11 Reasons Why Religion is Bad

1. It's Based on Supernatural Ideas Rather Than Science
Religion is based on the fallacy that the universe operates according to “supernatural” rules and forces, rather than scientific laws. Tales of miracles performed, the appearances of unearthly beings such as angels, and people defying death seem very unlikely to be true and have no backing from science.

2. It Causes Conflicts
Religion has historically served as a motivation for war or conflict between different groups ever since people started believing in it. Devout believers often believe that their particular creed is the only correct one and all the others are false or even dangerous. As long as there is religion, there will be religious wars.

3. It Restricts Freedom of Thought
Religion discourages free inquiry and restricts freedom of thought, by encouraging the idea that fundamental answers are fixed and I can only be found in a specific book, or in the hands of priests and religious leaders. A culture of unquestioning loyalty can be encouraged or enforced among followers. Dissenters are socially ostracized, punished through blasphemy laws, or even through violence in extreme circumstances.

Many of the world's religions have a long history of persecuting minority groups such as homosexuals. The status of women also tends to be lower in many religious cultures. Religions also sometimes label certain races or religions as threatening.

4. It Encourages Bigotry Against Minorities
Religions can cause or encourage bigotry against minority groups, such as gay people, women, as well as particular religious and racial groups.

5. It is Used by Unscrupulous Leaders for Their Own Purposes
Unscrupulous leaders can use religion to enrich themselves, gain access to children for molestation, or to achieve sexual gratification generally.

6. It is an Obstacle to Progress
Religion holds humanity back. One example is the period when the Christian Church dominated Western Europe in medieval times, scientific inventions and discoveries almost ground to a standstill and it wasn’t until the arrival of secularism in the Age of Enlightenment that things really began to move again.

7. It Uses Fear and Intimidation to Maintain Power
Religion often uses fear to intimidate dissenters and maintain power. Apostates are persecuted, or killed, blasphemers imprisoned, lapsed believers threatened with hell.

Most religions offer some form of life after death. Although the idea is reassuring to some, it can encourage the idea that this life is inferior to the one after. This might prevent some from living to the full, or encourage extreme acts.

8. The Concept of Life After Death Encourages Suffering in This Life
By promising life after death, some religions discourage people from living their life on Earth to the full. Instead, followers are promised that they will get a better life once they’ve died.

9. Religions are Utopian Thinking
Religions are essentially Utopian by nature. They encourage idealist ideas and promise great achievements, but faced with reality they generate hypocrisy, frustration, and disappointment among followers.

He who disbelieves in Allah after his having believed, not he who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of faith, but he who opens (his) breast to disbelief-- on these is the wrath of Allah, and they shall have a grievous chastisement.
— Quran 16:106

10. Religions are Man-Made, Not Divine
Religions are essentially man-made, rather than divinely inspired. People are encouraged to live an illusion, essentially a form of mass psychological escapism.

11. Religion Encourages Immorality Rather Than Reduces It
Religion absolves people from personal responsibility, because they can say that God told them to do it. This mentality creates suicide bombers, crusades, the persecution of homosexuals, and female genital mutilation.