As a (Humanistic) Naturalistic Atheistic Agnostic (NAA), the following quote from the Derbyshire Secularists and Humanists most succinctly sums up my best case rationale (hopefully, not rationalization) for a potential positive effect of religion in the lives of some individuals:SELF-DELUSION 'It is very easy for the strong-minded, highly-rational, god-free to dismiss religion as self-delusion or mass-hysteria. It may well be both but that is not really the issue. Religion may be irrational but that does not mean that it is not useful to individuals - many of whom are not strong-minded or secure in their lives. (We know that sounds patronising - but that does not make it incorrect.')