Reason is how we deal with reality. A proper approach to morality is guided by reason and will teach us to hold our own happiness as our most sacred purpose.
I think religion has historically played a stopgap role, for instance at the point in human development when people knew that killing other people was usually wrong, but before they could put a fine point on why. It sometimes has cultural or historical value, but the overhead expenses of (a) irrational belief in the supernatural and (b) compulsion to follow arbitrary or antiquated rules, outweigh any such value in those whose beliefs are too literal or too focused on the destructive or hateful parts of the religion.
What a fantastic essay
Very thorough and well written.
I think religion has historically played a stopgap role, for instance at the point in human development when people knew that killing other people was usually wrong, but before they could put a fine point on why. It sometimes has cultural or historical value, but the overhead expenses of (a) irrational belief in the supernatural and (b) compulsion to follow arbitrary or antiquated rules, outweigh any such value in those whose beliefs are too literal or too focused on the destructive or hateful parts of the religion.