Well, obviously I don't agree with your subject that Religion Dis Empowers Believers. So I will delve into it a little bit in an attempt to offer an alternative view point. First of all, if our forefathers did not rely on Religion Faith and Prayer, neither you nor I would be allowed to freely sit here and offer a particular viewpoint on the matter.If you look at all of the Major Freedom Fighters from Frederick Douglass to Mary Mccleoud Bethune, they were all motivated and led by a Higher Power.Or a belief in something that is greater than themselves.If you look at Marcus Garvey, he too believed in a Religion-Christianity that inspired him to the work that he did.Martin Luther King Jr is probably the best example of one who relied on a Higher Power to not only empower him individually but to empower a group of people to action as it relates to both their civil and human rights.If you study the History of Black Colleges and Universities, most of them were started by the Black Christian Church including Dr Kings' Morehouse College.Many of their graduates have gone on to do great things in Religion Law Business Medicine and a host of other Professions. All of these students were empowered or influence by their Faith. It baffles me that you and others would take a different position. I don't know if you are a part of a church or Religious Institution but I have been working in that organization for well over 40 years. I have seen Drug Addicts quit Drugs because of the Power of the Gospel . I have seen prostitutes come off the street because they heard a Word of Encouragement from the Bible. I have seen Husbands return to their wives and wives return to their Husbands. I have seen sick people get heal. And you are suggesting that Religion Dis Empowers Believers? The BLack Church is still the oldest and most effective instituion that black people still have in its quest to be liberated from the bondage of ignorance racism and white supremacy.It is not without faults but to suggest that it disempowers her believers is not only untruthful but speaks to a blatant ignorance of her success and effectiveness over the last 200 years.