Reason is the only reliably method of differentiating true from false with regards to reality. Science is considered broadly either KNOWLEDGE (obtained via reason), or knowledge AND the methods used to acquire it (method drive reasoning...scientific method, etc.)
Religion is the opposite of this. That is, it's not just incompatible, it's the logical opposite.
Religion has no place in science, and has nothing to do with knowledge.
Regarding the value of religion in society, I think there is the placebo effect, among other things. It is a real, and complex, phenomenon, that can arise from FALSE beliefs. For some people, especially those who don't question too deeply and reveal the placebo, the placebo effect from a medicine, or a sermon or belief, may provide benefits that science cannot today, provide, and which may be more cost effective/convenient. Unfortunately, this indulgence leaves this type of person more vulnerable to being used by those in power (be it a church or a religious leader or political party), because not questioning can lead to anything, be it genocide, conquest, murder, torture, etc.
For me, it's like a free market analogy though. Would I rather pay a lot of taxes and "feel taken care of by the government", or would I rather be left to my own devices, but with so many options that I can carve out my own feeling of security the way I want it. I'm the latter. Life is hard, and short, but it's the only game in town.
-Mach