For me, as I've written before, the biggest problem with religion in public life (it's not a problem in private life, quite the contrary) is that it brings into the debate
absolutes, whether the concept of God (all powerful), ot good-vs-evil, Heaven vs Hell, etc. This is not helpful. Bring in absolutes, and you INEVITABLY bring along " the end (absolute) justifies the means", "with-us-or-without-us", etc... which are so dangerous as political tools and as ways to run society in general. Religion - but this is also true of any strong ideology, as communism as shown - is a very potent political tool to channel energies you way by showing the ultimate prize at the "end", and thus enrolling everybody towards that goal.
So I am vehemently hostile to any role for religion in politics. Religion - or similar absolutist ideologies, while a force for cohesion in many societies, has been the cause of the greatest massacres in human history.
Now, as a private matter, I have no problem with religion. It is a (usually) coherent ensemble of moral values, it provides an acceptable answer to the metaphysical questions we all have and it can provide peace and serenity to those that have the faith. In a way, I am envious of people that find their inner peace that way - I cannot (too many unanswered questions for me, too many doubts), but I respect the fact that they do - so long as they do not try to impose their faith on me. Values and morality are for me a question of personal - individual - responsibility. If you get there via religion, that's great - as long as you get there, you are coherent in your acts and your beliefs, and don't impose these values on others.
