> But not so much with things that fuck with our minds. Religion is a phenomenon that changes our views fundamentally, and I can't say we have overcome its influence, despite it being around for over 5000 years.

Honestly, the change is the lack of religion in modern society. Maybe we'll adapt, maybe we won't.

As a personal aside, Ireland de-catholicised really significantly during my lifetime, and while I'm super happy about lots of that, the loss of community in many places is quite real.

Lack of religion is a change, but I mentioned religion as something that influences our thoughts, attitudes and behavior, and which all over the world has lead to conflict, e.g. The Struggles. In that sense, we have not been able to deal with that particular phenomenon, and, as you say, the only way seems to be to get rid of it. Quite the analogy for social media.

I think that summing up religion as something that is unambiguously bad is probably what I'm having trouble with.

It's like saying science was a mistake, when the urge to figure things out appears to be a universal trait of humanity.

It's kinda the epitome of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

No, that wasn't my intention. But it's a mind/attitude altering trait, that did cause many problems, and we haven't managed to simply overcome it.

So Jesus was, in fact, one of the first Influencers around?

yes, except all the other religions, priests, oracles, pharaohs before him. And his religion was based on on an interpretation of Judaism which was a thousand years old religion at a time, Other than that you're spot on ;)