Importance of religion

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   The most important role religion has played in the US is shaping a culture.   Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all variations of the same religion, creating cultural agreements, that make our civilization possible.   Unfortunately, we can not return to believing in many gods, and greater toleration of each other.  For the same reason, we can not return to believing in many gods, many educated people can not accept Judaism, Christianity and Islam as God's truth either.  However, we should not make the error Zeus feared we would make, that is, to think ourselves above needing any gods.   I think we should put the word "God" back in out text books.    God as the X factor of life, is very important to our Liberty and Justice.  God as Cicero understood God is healthy for civilizations. 

I think there is a serious problem with a God who has favorites, and who rules by whim, punishing and blessing people as He sees fit.  To me, this jealous, fearsome and revengeful God is the roll model for abusive people, and I really do not like people working with this role model.  I think this has caused many bad social problems, involving abusing children and those who are 
not one of us". We all know this lead to terrible wars, and completely intolerable treatment of other human beings.  For this reason, some of us what the belief in the God of Moses to die, as the belief in many gods has died.  However, we should not destroy all religion, without first identifying what is good of religion, including the belief in many gods that made the earliest civilizations possible.  How we can carry on what is good of religion, without carrying on what is wrong with religion?   