In the light of the furore on religion throughout the Islamic world, and the heat and fury and deaths
that occurred, I would like to quote the views of Professor AC Grayling on religion:
"The basic doctrines of the major religions have their roots in the superstitions and fancies
of illiterate peasants living several thousand years ago.
What religious people mean by "god" means nothing to me beyond an incoherent cluster of
concepts from which the aforesaid folk choose the subset most convenient to themselves.
But the word brings to mind the man-made phenomenon of religions, whose net effect on
humanity now as throughout history has been by considerable margin, negative.  It would be so
just because of the falsity of belief, and the consequent absurdity of behaviour premised on the
idea that there exist supernatural agencies who made this imperfect world, and who have an
interest in us that extends to our sex lives and what we should and shall not eat on certain days,
or wear, and so on.  But it is more than false; it is far too often oppressive and distorting as
regards human nature, and divisive as regards human communities.
It is a frequent source of conflict and cruelty.  Monstrous crimes have been committed in its
name.  And more often than not it has stood in the way of efforts at human liberation and
progress.
I would wish people to live without superstition, to govern their lives with reason, and to
conduct their relationships on reflective principles about what we owe one another as
fellow voyagers through the human predicament - with kindness and generosity whenever
possible, and justice always."

I really like his views.