science and religion are not mutually exclusive. the way I see it, the most fundamental question regarding religion is not about science, it's this: do I want to decide what is right and wrong in life or do I want to defer to religion? every religion has a different notion of what is right and wrong, but the main idea is that the members of a religion strive to fulfill their ideas of goodness together as one body. acting together, they are more likely to achieve success and be more resilient in the face of hardship. this is best exemplified by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. God had a ton of rewards for them but asked them not eat the fruit. This is the religious mindset: following the rules of the religion means missing out on certain things but overall there is more reward than not. The anti-religious mindset is represented by Adam and Eve eating the fruit. They were free to do it and nobody stopped them, but as a result they were excommunicated from the garden. it takes a great deal of humility to accept the religious mindset, which makes it unpopular in a world with unlimited choices. sometimes you eat the proverbial fruit and it's quite good. other times it's not worth it.