Raider, I too despise this practise and many other practices in the name of religion.
But what we are today is thanks largely to "religion" - I am not talking about the great religions we have today (starting with Hinduism) but religious practices at the dawn of civilisation.
Civilisation first appeared in Ancient Mesopotamia when mankind first set down roots along that famous river from their nomadic lifestyle. "Religious practice" arose during this period and went hand in hand with the rise of civilisation and was a necessary part of "civilised life".
