Has religion been successful? Is religion of any value?

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner (Q): In the previous question, you said that religion is essentially needed in spirituality, but in the name of religion Hindus fight with Muslims, Muslims fight with Hindus. So, why is religion needed?

Acharya Prashant (AP): The recorder you are speaking into will get saturated with your voice soon, why not throw it away? The dress that you are wearing will get spoiled very soon, why wear it at all? The specs that you are holding, won’t be there forever. They get dirty, they get broken; why use them?

Religion is not the Truth, religion is an enabler. Except for Truth, everything is ephemeral. Except for Truth, everything costs something. Except for Truth, everything has its limitations. So, religion has its limitations, but you have to carefully weigh the limitations against the benefits. If there were no religion, would you still sit in front of me here, like an obedient girl?

Tell me, what is it that makes you sit here obediently? Why are you calling me ‘Acharya Ji’? I am Prashant. And why must I be a guru? If you’re 30, I am 40. Look at me as a man. That’s what Prakriti has trained you to do, has it not? A 30-year-old is not supposed to look at a 40-year-old as a guru or…