As someone who lives in an area where you could get beat to death for walking into the wrong street because of your religion, I say YES it does more harm than good. It is used as an excuse, yes, but without it there would be a lot less trouble.
I am Catholic but I disagree with the Catholic church on a LOT of it's views and am disgusted by how they abuse their power, however I do believe in God. Not a God that only looks after one religion. Just a God that is there regardless of religion, skin colour, background......anything.
Then I think of all the child murders and atrocities in the world, on a daily basis and the horrors that go on in countries that we hear very little about. I've seen a mother question what kind of God would take her baby to heaven and leave a broken hearted family to wonder why and I question everything again 
I just don't know what to think a lot of the time. I think I *want* to believe in the God I mentioned but then I doubt whether such a God would allow these things to happen.
