Questions about the European renaissance and religion to non believers

[The Grand Nudger]

1. Is religion natural to the Human psyche?

Probably, at least with respect to a very specific view of what religion is.  If you're wondering whether the contemporary religions are natural to the human psyche, no.  They're elaborate, novel, and brand new.  

 The renaissance is regarded and/or was regarded as a golden age. A age of prosperity, a better way of life or living, moving forward, great wealth, education, re-enlightenment, rebirth of ideas as well literature, great technological, artistic and engineering feats HOWEVER apon contemplation, when i think of the word renaissance, the word retarded or retarding comes to my mind. PLEASE note that I mean no offence to the mentally retarded, mentally disabled, making fun of them or being disrespectful nor am I talking about them.

For some people it was great, for others, not so much.  

2. If the renaissance really was a golden age then how was it truly golden and a age of moving forward if it was based on older ideas, older literature, A older way of life/living before the middle ages rather then new ones? Wouldn't that be backwards or a backwards way of living and doing things rather then moving forward's or the opposite of those?

The myth of the golden age.

3. If religion had not been a part of human society's or civilizations, what most likely would humans have been capable of and what would we be capable of doing today? Would technology, education, philosophy and government have progressed faster and less wars?

Imagining humans without religion - which is a pretty big lift, I would expect us to do all the things we do and have done otherwise.  Religions don't make internal combustion engines work, and people with or without religions have the same need and use for engines - for example.