It appears to me that there are three main purposes to religion and God:

A)    The need for a purpose in life and someone to protect and love us. 

B)    The need to explain the unexplainable

C)    The need for a moral guidance, which religion and God provides for us

The first reason seems fairly unnecessary. Now, I am aware of the fact that some people need something to comfort them, to make there life seem less trivial (because in all actuality the average persons life is trivial), less scary, and less lonely. This is all well and good, and if that is what makes them happy then, so be it. However, religion is not the only way one can achieve this feeling, there are others.  One can self-actualize (gaining a true feeling of oneself and ones surroundings) through other methods.  Such as friendship, love, community, freedom, simplicity, the arts, the list goes on.  Whatever they have passion about, within reason of course.  Really the number of things people could do to achieve this feeling are in numeral, we just have to think and try to figure it out.  Not to say one should not use religion to achieve this, which is perfectly fine to do so, just that it is not necessary, as some may believe.  It is not necessary to be religious to feel purpose in life or feel happy. You could even argue that religion doesnt even give a proper feeling of satisfaction.  In fact, a reply I often said to the question why do people do drugs, if it gives them a false sense of security and happiness, is, yeah, so does religion.  Not to demean in any way religion, or to say that doing drugs is more noble, but to someone who doesnt believe and in God and is unreligious, its just the same as doing drugs.  A false sense of happiness and love, a security blanket is achieved through the use of marijuana, crack, heroin, and to some, through religion (ouch). 

Well moving on from that point, the need to explain the unexplainable.  So much of religion, Christian and non, is used to explain things we cannot.  For instant, every religion has a creation myth, of both humans and the earth itself.  We use religion to explain how the earth was created, how life exists, etc.  However, now science has now seemed to fix that.  We now have answers to the majority of those questions.  How does life exist? Through probability.  Probability states that somewhere, at least one planet has to have the qualifications for life (as we know it). Carbon dioxide-nitrogen rich soil and air, proper temperature, etc.  The main argument against this is that we dont know how everything happened. Or, how it all came about.  Well, we certainly dont know who has written the bible, who has changed it etc.  For example, the reason homosexuality is considered immoral through the bible is based off the fact that the Israelites considered it wrong, and the Romans committed. It was simply used as an excuse to point fingers at the already disliked Romans and say hey, that guy has a boyfriend, he is going to hell.  How much stock can we put into one book to explain the unexplainable.  If you ask me (and you do, by reading this essay) than reading your BIO or ASTRO 100 book is probably a better source of information. 

So, now on to my third reason for religions existence.  The need for a moral guidance, which religion and God provides for us.  This just seems silly to me, as I have discussed earlier, the bible shows that it doesnt always dissect each issue and discuss it philosophically, some of it just happens to coincide with what they want to believe.  So, I think the use of philosophy is a much better tool in moral guidance.  For instance I determine the morality of my actions based off of one basic thing: autonomy rights.  The right to self govern.  As an example, I would say that homosexuality is not immoral, as long as both partners are of the age of rationality (18) and have given consent. I believe that drugs should be legal, if you are of the age of 18 and use them responsibly.  Why? Because you are not inflicting on anyone elses autonomy rights.   The minute you do, then you are in essence being immoral.  Now, I am currently pondering the idea of virtues being different than morals, but I wont get into that now. Thats a whole different ball of tin foil.   This method of doing things seems to be a more reasonable and just way, as well as it being more applicable to everyone.  You dont need to be religious to be moral or to have a moral guidance.  I, and anyone else, has the potential to be moral and it doesnt matter if you use a religion to do so. In fact the use of religion seems to have detrimental effects on morality often (no sex before marriage, homosexuality, etc.) what is exactly immoral about those issues? Nothing, as long as one receives consent from a rational being.

Now, something that I find kind of funny.  I went to New Mexico over the summer, and we visited Carlsbad Caverns, one of the national wonders of the world.  It was gorgeous, no doubt about it.  What was amusing however, were the people in front of us.  There was this older women, who would loudly gasp and ooo and ahh at every little thing. And then she said it:  and just think, there are some people who dont believe in God.  Whoa, where did that come from?  The more I thought about it (and the more I saw Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) I realized, by her saying that she was inherently saying that god didnt exist.  God relies on faith to exist, to prove his existence would lead him to disappear in a poof of logic.  So, by saying the marvelous stalagmite were proof of gods existence only stated exactly what she didnt want. I found it amusing.  But, hey, it appears to make her happy, and I dont judge. 

So, conclusion?  I have attacked all three major reasons to why religion isnt needed, enough to suit myself at least.  But, I am only human and am fallible (especially in the eyes of the religious folk) and of course this is only my opinion.  Honestly, I dont think God exists.  If it does, then it has no real impact on my life.  But, it seems to work for some. All I really ask is to realize the faults in religion (like all ideas) and that others can find happiness, answers and morality in other ways, besides through the use of religion.