Is a religion positive or negative in one's life?

I have had 75 years to think more about this and the answer for everyone is: It's Always both positive and negative at the same time: Religion.

So, why do people run to religion so much?

This is a complicated question but mostly it is about tradition and laws and mores and ethics and the survival of the human species.

However, religions equally harm us and help us throughout our lives.

To not realize this is to not be an adult human being.

For example, in my own life I consider my religion growing up to be both the most helpful and the most harmful thing so far in my life.

Some people choose to think Governments are the worst thing on earth whereas I see religions are likely the worst thing on earth (but also the best) at the same time.

How does one cope with something so powerful in their lives?

Most people don't cope with religions very well at all, especially as adults worldwide.

Children are mostly enslaved by religion and religious precepts as children worldwide.

However, not having a religion or believing in God likely is one of the main reasons we have mass shootings here in the U.S. more than any other country.

People think the cause is guns but that's not really it. It's that people don't value human life unless they have been conditioned through some sort of religion that either believes in God or Buddha or some higher power.

So, from my point of view not thinking they are sacred and that all life on earth including all animals and people on earth are sacred is the main reason for mass shootings nationwide and worldwide.

So, from a mass shooting perspective, religion helps prevent mass murders except during wars between religions and cultures worldwide.

So, religions help pacify the masses and (at least within their religion) tend to prevent murders at least in their own religion between followers.

However, on an individual level they are the best and the worst thing that ever happens to most people on earth.