Today's interpretations of religion are often backward and contradict the needs of civilization.

Religion often is misused for purely power-political goals, including war.

No power of government ought to be employed in the endeavor to establish any system or article of belief on the subject of religion.

Religion can make it worse. Are you supposing that if people were encouraged to believe in a transcendent reality, and to be encouraged by grand rituals and music and preaching, to love their neighbors, then they would put jealousy and frustration aside?

Religion, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping. And the Piper!