I agree with almost everything you've said, except one. Religion has not gone too far now, it had a great while ago. Women and queer people have been getting killed for centuries in the name of religion, their rights stolen and autonomy lost. Babies have been dying for unnatural reasons for as long as people have believed in God and wars are being fought since the day someone said "One God".

The reason why religion uses fear and intimidation is pretty simple. Religions seek total control over their followers as their ultimate goal. Fear is an excellent tool for accomplishing this, especially when used on very young children.

I'm not saying you shouldn't be religious, but to forget basic humanity in the name of religion is nothing but being a cult. We need to move on from orthodox narratives and embrace change. Religion and advancement can go hand in hand if we try enough.