Do Objectivists see religion as immoral or amoral?

Moral actions guide us toward life and happiness. Immoral actions guide us to death and unhappiness. In that sense, religion on the whole is immoral.

For an action to be amoral, it would have no effect on life or happiness. Religion doesn't fall in that category. Religion is destructive, to mind, body and soul.

Having said that, there are also parts of religion that are good and moral. And while many people pick-and-choose which parts of their religions they subscribe to (in part simply to be able to survive in the world), the fact that such picking-and-choosing is necessary should be an important clue regarding its overall morality.

The short form of the question is: "Do Objectivists see religion as immoral or amoral?"

That is not, however, the central question that Objectivists ask. Objectivists ask: Is religion harmful or beneficial to man's life? Does "life" mean only this life, on earth, or does it include some kind of alleged afterlife? If the latter, what is the evidence for it? Since man needs to rely on reason to live on earth, does religious belief aid or hinder man's use of reason? Is the harm or benefit of religion merely personal and private, or does religion have consequences on a vast historical scale spanning many centuries and millennia? Has religion's actual historical record been favorable or unfavorable to man's life, considering the whole range of issues, including the Inquisition centuries ago and the very similar religious influence just a decade ago in the 9-11 attacks?

When one asks those sorts of questions, one's evaluation of religion should become more clear.

If is is claimed that one's own religious belief "isn't really that bad," one should ask why. Is it, perhaps, because one upholds a heavily Enlightenment-influenced version of religion? If so, try separating the influences. One will find that the elements of rationality are the root of the good, and the elements of irrationality detract from it and undermine it. One should also consider how much longer the elements of rationality can continue to survive as they continue to be extinguished one after the other by religious "purists," i.e., those who understand and uphold religion in its most consistently man-denigrating essence.

The common objection against religion has to do with its preaching of altruism.