In my case, I was born and raised a Hindu but I honestly don't believe in the stories. I consider myself (depending on my mood) an agnostic or a devout member of the Holy Church of Chuck Norris, peace be upon him, (no offense to any Muslims here). In all seriousness, I don't actively practice any religion, and the only times I go to the temple are when my parents make me, but it's hard to overlook the positive effects of religion in the old world that pretty much shaped how we live today.
For instance, despite what you might think, the religion of Islam actively encouraged the spread of learning and knowledge. One of it's requirements was that all people who practiced the religion must be literate in order to read and understand the Qur'an. Because of this, there were many ancient scientific advancements in the Middle Ages that were all done in the name of Islam. Other religions like Buddhism in India and China also were influential because they outlined specific teachings that influenced the behaviors and actions of many different people and encouraged peace and understanding.
When speaking specifically about Christianity though, the religion sort of had a bad rep of discouraging madeical advances and claiming that "It is that way because God meant it to be! The only way to cure the bubonic plague is to repent your sins, blah blah blah!" which we all know is complete BS these days. So history class was actually useful!
