*What is the point of religion?*

   Here was my answer:

   depends on the individuals practicing the religion. Just as
   there is a law on the books for lawyers to use to justify almost
   anything in court, each religion has its loopholes that cultish
   factions use to justify their criminal behavior. BUT - if used
   properly, it helps ease troubled minds - it was psychology
   before we had a name for it. It was ''community'' even without
   have a geographical home (look at the Moses and the jews in the
   desert) . It was a system of law and punishment in the days
   before police. It changes a person's perspective so they WANT to
   be good. iT CAN ELIM8INATE HOPELESSNESS. BUT - not everybody
   needs it. Or wants it. And that's fine. I tend to edge towards
   science, philosophy, psychology. I suspect we probably cease to
   exist when we die - YET its possible (if we are indeed in an
   infinite universe - that it doesn't stop at the furthest we can
   see (because light is too slow) ) that our mental patterns are
   repeated in a nebula somewhere (quantumly entangled) - and our
   consciousness continues. As wacked out as that sound, its enough
   for me to think, ''Just maybe our ''selves'' continue'' - and if
   they do, it explains the need to ''be at peace'' internally. For
   imagine you have an itch - the itch of greed, the itch of anger,
   or even a physical itch - craving for a scratch. Now, you can
   reach out your hand and scratch. but what if (like people with
   phantom limbs who feel an itch on a foot that's no longer there)
   - the itch continues after you have no body? That would definite
   HELL to me. At peace with yourself? HEAVEN.