Does Religion retard or promote social growth?

I would argue that religion acts as a double edged sword in relation to social growth.

In one respect, religion contributes to the formation of social groups by providing common guidelines/norms the members can unite under. These norms, which in many cases have underlying moral premises, contribute to the formation of common ways of life. People who live similarly bond to form groups, and from an evolutionary perspective, acceptance (and in many cases survival) depends on how well an individual can adapt to the customs associated with the group. Since religion lays down set guidelines for certain customs, it is easy for people to form groups based on these clear and unambiguous customs. In turn, survivial (at least in a social respect) is made easier by the implmentation of religion.

On the other hand, religion also causes social separation. To put it coarsely, participating in the social aspects of religion is many times analogous to being in a cult (or exclusive society). The very customs that help form groups also exclude others from admittance. Even in Christianity, the customs of one denomination may cause a prejudiced view of an almost identical denomination. The degree of social separation has a direct relationship with the degree of difference of religious customs; social separation increases as the difference in religious customs increases. This was especially illustrated in the article about Portugal’s view on Ethiopia. Though both Christian nations, the difference in Ethiopian customs seemed to make Portugal almost unrelated to Ethiopia. Religion may serve as an important evolutionary tool (to unite people over common customs), but it also increases the social gap between societies.