Does religion have a place in modern society?

Richard Dawkins is a man who has relentlessly shoved down our throats the idea that religion has no place in the modern world, that it holds us back from our potential, and essentially that anyone who practices it is an idiot.

Once again the well known author and biologist has taken to twitter to tell us that accepting someones religious views is simply preposterous. But is it? Whilst science is giving us more information about the world and universe around us every day, does that mean that every day we lose a piece of our faith in god? For many people the concepts of god and science go hand in hand. Seeing the increasing complexities in our environment leads many people to point to the 'watch maker' idea that something so complex must have had a designer or creator, governing all these various mechanisms.

Others go the other way and think that by explaining the mechanisms that govern biological systems we show them to simply be another step in evolution, and completely detracted from god.

But I think the main point we should be looking at here is, does it matter what someone believes? Aren't we being held back more by those individuals who insist that their view is correct, and everyone else's incorrect? There are people on both sides of the debate, believers and non-believers, who continually attack each other simply because they don't think the same as them. There are valid points on both sides, but neither have produced undeniable proof of either the existence or absence of a god.

Essentially what I'm saying here is, why can't we all just try and get along, let people believe what they want to believe, and keep our opinions to ourselves... especially you Richard. What do you think? Can science and religion coexist? Comment below or email newsinscience@gmail.com with your opinions.