Mr Ramanand has presented some unrefutable facts, but I see two major methodological problems. I can predict a totally reverse result if paul's study waslongitudinal on association between religious faith and societal conditions during last 100 years in the United States (or any other country). Secondly the article looks at the facts with colored glasses. I presetn a different perspective. The religion has intrahuman, interhuman and intersocietal aspects. It has served a useful purpose in the first two aspectsbut not on the inter-societal aspect. We should not forget that like religion being our old passion, we have passion with democracy and we have seen 50 years of cold war between two different kinds of 'democracies' and current Iraq war is less related to religion and more to 'attempt to exportdemocracy'. without going into truth of god/evil or democracy or (even science) because truth depends on context, I would like to say that the context is- for majority in the world religion is still very much intrahuman and interhuman like vital force and not opium or cynide. Dhanesh
