Theism is, and has been, an overwhelmingly negative influence on humanity, much as is any acquired parasitic infection¹.

¹ By acquired in his context, I mean generally post conception.

Parasites that are acquired pre-conception include maternal mitochondria: parasites that have now become vital symbiotes.
As has been pointed out by Dawkins, et alia, (colloquially put) it seems to be that the method by which the parasite is acquired, (or expelled during reproduction), determines the genre of the organism.
That human mitochondria are overwhelmingly inherited via their inclusion in the ovum means that we now consider these parasites as part of 'us', even though they are separate entities.

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