Like cigarettes and too much alcohol, it can and probably will one way or another spoil your health and wellbeing. The notice boards outside all the churches, chapels and mosques etc. should be required to give a warning to this effect.

It will take up time that you could more usefully be spending  on something useful, or pleasurable.

It will impede and distort your ability to think for yourself and look for rational solutions to your problems. Moral decisions will be obscured by age old texts when most are matters of common sense and decency, and in the long run your own self interest.

You will sometimes be encouraged to reject rational evidence based treatments and look for 'miracle cures'.

It will put you off, or make you feel guilty for doing many things that will bring pleasure and meaning to your life, like enjoying safe sex without marriage or risk of pregnancy, accepting your sexuality without fear, taking mood enhancing drugs occasionally and in moderation or turning the radio off when the religion comes on.

If you live in a country where religion is the law, mutilation of sexual organs is not only permitted but enforced.

You will be encouraged to rely on meaningless superstition, cliches and false arguments that are never exposed to the light of reason. So that when you most need them you realise that they are a load of bunkum, and have to rethink things when you are least able to do so.

The bible as a useful handbook for all occasions will confirm every prejudice you could possibly have and give you quotations to suit every possible point of view, however contradictory. It will give you different versions of events, alternative statements, facts and figures, tell you that god is a god of love and also a vengeful god.

The ultimate hazard is of course the death penalty in states in which blasphemy or adultery are against the law,  some of the policies and activities of some religions - 'honour killings' and dying of starvation or AIDS because of not allowing the use of condoms or abortion.

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