Why not define religion as its functions, i.e., a set of beliefs, stories, customs, traditions, ceremonies, artifacts, and social conduct rules that:
1. Attempt to explain the inexplicable/metaphysical (without empirical evidence, of course).
2. Attempt to answer questions about life's purpose, meaning, and the "afterlife."
3. Tend to trigger strong emotional reactions, which may promote love and peace or lead to hatred and violence.
4. May foster an egoic tendency to identify an aspect of self as a member of a particular social group/tribe (often creating divisiveness).

So, religion has cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions that can be adaptive/beneficial or maladaptive/detrimental to an individual's and humanity's well-being depending on its tenets and how it is overtly expressed.

- Steve Beller

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