The way I see it; religion is the root of all evil.
Religion was/is a part of most cultural social evolution, we are just now evolving past that social need/era. As for good, or bad... For all our good points, Humanity tends to be violent, predatory and hostile, as does Human society, so of course any Human social construction will have both aspects.
I think the same question can be asked about any social construction and the same answer would apply. What is the goal or function and who is judging? With that said religious institutions have motivated people to do some very good things and some very bad things.
The bad done by religion far out weighs any good. They all have their own agenda, power and money at any cost..
Mostly bad, the ten percent good that they do is offset with the 90 percent bad. Just convincing people that they are being good just because they believe is not helpful.
It can be a good thing but like everything else, given enough time, someone will turn it into something bad.
Ignorance and superstition are bad things. Compassion and personal discipline are good things.
Yes, but fooling people in the name of compassion is a bad thing, personal discipline in the name of evil is a bad thing. Hitler and his henchmen had a lot of personal discipline.
@DaveSchumacher
Yes. Evil is evil, under any name.
Is believing in UFOs a good thing or a bad thing? Is chasing Sasquatch a good thing or a bad thing? The answers depend on how much of an obsession it becomes, how much of your time and money it takes up, and how it causes you to relate to the rest of the world.
If religion causes people to believe in things that probably don't exist, well, who cares? On the other hand, if the same people start insisting that the rest of the world must believe in the same things or else suffer punishment, war, discrimination or death, that's another thing.
Therefore, the correct answer to your question is "Yes". Religion is a good thing or a bad thing.
When reading fiction, there's a principle called suspension of disbelief. That allows you to enjoy fiction that is consistent, at least with its own precepts, if not with reality. This is what allows you tho read Harry Potter and accept wizards, mythical beasts, and magic as real for the duration of the novels. However, it's definitely bad when fiction requires that this suspension of disbelieve become full time denial of reality.