I would argue that such beliefs cause societal damage when perpetuated. They equate unfounded mythology with science and that is not a good thing. Now of course I don't care if some bozo thinks Adam and Eve were literal people as long as he doesn't try to convince someone else, including his children, of such nonsense. And in real life, we have had Presidents and legislators in influential positions using such idiotic beliefs when making public policy. And that is a REALLY bad thing.
I suspect most politicians couldn't care less about religion other than in terms of how it affects them politically. There are some exceptions, such as Mitt Romney in our own day; but I suspect that for most, it's more of a pragmatic thing. In many parts of America it would be difficult for anyone other than a professed believer in some sort of religion to be elected; and in some parts of America, only believers in a specific religion have a chance.
This is nothing new, of course. Even Constantine's conversion is questionable based upon historical evidence. At best, I suspect that he basically welcomed the Christian god into his personal pantheon for pragmatic reasons upon gaining certain concessions from them, particularly with regard to military service. Christians had been mainly pacifists up until then, and Constantine needed soldiers more than he needed another deity.
There's also the fact that the medallion Constantine minted a year after winning the Milvian Bridge battle and a year after his professed conversion to Christianity bore the images of Constantine and Sol Invictus, one of the Roman sun gods. That kind of casts doubt on the sincerity of his conversion.
There also are those who like to run the "religion has led to more wars than anything else" line in defense of Atheism; but in most cases (including the myriad Roman Catholic inquisitions and military campaigns), religion was more of a convenient justification for waging wars for the purposes of property, power, control, and wealth.
I mean, just look at the papacy of Alexander VI as one example. His son Cesare's conquests were about money and land, not doctrine. It's questionable whether Cesare was even a believer when he commanded the Vatican and other armies, despite having been created a cardinal when he was a teenager. But there was no question that Alexander needed to bring the papal states in line, particularly as concerned the payment of tithes.
Politicians will do what they do using any convenient justification; and no doubt many have used religion, often in detestable ways. But among ordinary people, I suspect that a lot more good has been done (and a lot more evil abstained from) because of religious faith than has harm come from it.
Rich
