Religion as an institution will always be necessary, rather than for a belief of something beyond death, it provides social "models" of coexistence (The Ten Commandments are for me the first written constitution.) I am a believer, but I am aware that Religion has been used for the particular purposes of those who hold political power, very good article, friend, Fustell de Coulange already described it in his work "The Ancient City" Greetings from Venezuela