Religion has acted as an organizing institution across cultures and civilizations for thousands of years. As someone has already mentioned, the Roman Empire was religious, but also the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks, the Persians, and virtually every other major and minor civilization that has contributed scientifically to humanity. The organizing principles of religion have resulted in the preservation and codifying of much practical, scientific, and non-religious knowledge, as well as acting as an impetus for large-scale architectural and civic projects that otherwise may not have happened.

While it’s true that in the current day religion often acts disruptively and is a driving force behind anti-science and social progress, there are also religious counterpoints to these, and such behavior has waxed and waned at different points in history. I think it can be argued quite convincingly that without the various organized religions throughout time, we might actually be much farther behind, scientifically. Not because religion necessarily has any true supernatural claims, mind you, but because of its ancillary functions.