My opinion is that you are indeed egoistic/self-centric - just like every other human. I'd say that the difference between religious people and others is not about who of both is egoistic/self-centric, but how that egoism shows.

I've once read that there is a theological belief that concepts like "heaven" and "hell" are necessary to keep humans from negative behaviour, and there might indeed be a certain truth to that.

For example, imagine I saw you standing on a bridge, willing to end your life. If I were a strong believer in heaven and hell, I would probably try to stop you from doing so and do anything to help you instead - but I might indeed only do so because I believe this will benefit me in my afterlife by reducing the danger of going to hell and improving the chance of going to heaven.

If, however, I was completely sure that there is no afterlife, my reaction might be completely different: I might instead try to figure out if you're leaving a big-breasted blonde behind that soon needs some solace, take your wallet and car (you're not going to need them anymore anyway) and then help you achieve your goal.

This is why I think that in practice, religious beliefs might indeed lead to a certain tendency to make people behave in a way that seems less egoistic.

It was and still is a way for people to explain the unexplainable and a tool to justify their own actions as well as offer a moral standard.

I think it's still required as there are still a lot of people who need religion for spiritual reasons. Just as long as they keep religion away from government issues and all that.

I think it's fine, not really good or bad for the world overall.

I think religion can be a very good thing for people to have. But so what? Sure, it provides morals, but only very inconsistently, and virtually every form of media can provide morals. If it's a question of bringing people together, then religion is a mixed bag, since it also drives them apart. If it's a question of being right, then religion is silly since it supposes that all of the answers are either already known or can't be answered.

Religion is like cherry cola. It's not the worst thing to have, but I would suggest against drinking it.

You make religion sound delicious, have 1 once a week, much like most religious people today.

Modern society is extremely me-centric, religion or no. Does religious myth benefit modern society? Well, sure, in some ways but it detracts just as much, if not more as a whole.

I go to these commitees and when the chairman wants everyone to sit and be quiet everyone just ignores her. There is like four hundred ppl and some of them are drinking. But as soon as she calls on the preacher to do the invocation, suddenly everyone acts like little angels.

Thats useful.

One of the greatest dangers our society faces is secularism.  Progressive thought that god is not needed and that man can define his own society and morales will eventually lead to a self destructive society where life itself does not have meaning.  One if the great things of identifying a god is it allows society to put morales on higher authority one that man can neither take or dismiss.

i myself am not a religious man but I would be foolish to not recognize its much needed in a civilized world.

Or those wonderful people that walk among you that commit suicide because their secular living does not place importance in the value of life.  ... See how it works both ways, religion does provide benefit and has provided far more good in the world than evil.

You do realize that we can have secularism and religion right? Secularism, in fact, was meant as a protection of certain religious groups due to past oppressions made by despotistic states who declared certain men or a single man above others. I am quite grateful for the secularism found in the U.S, because otherwise the state would have more influence over religion, and vice-verse. I say this as an agnostic Athiest who despises anti-theism.