Religion isn’t really the right world. Spirituality is a better word. Science requires leaps of faith as much as spiritual leaps of faith. Science claims to quantify things but you are relying on some framework as with any spiritual system. I agree that some people cling to these frameworks without cause. You can argue who’s clinging and who’s not but science does have sect-like groups. People live and die by their beliefs in science as much as spiritual beliefs. The arguments about ‘main stream’ and non-main stream science are proof that these sect-like groups exist. I’m not saying it’s a perfect correlation, but on I put this out there; the more I study science, the less impressed I am with its ability to answer the questions that really matter to me. Being 78% water with some C, N, O and a few other elements thrown in to give me shape isn’t very satisfying. That is what I’m made of but not who I am or how I relate to everyone else. I won’t claim every person is special or unique but I think we need to find answers for ourselves. Science can answer some of the puzzle but spirituality is just as valid an approach. That said, I have little time for people who force their answers on others.