because faith in the unknown has been used for centuries by elites and people wishing to command the masses to give them a rallying point.

if we all crashed on an island and one person stands up and says "you guys over there go get water, you guys go find food, you guys go build shelter, etc..."

many in the crowd would say "who the fuck put you in charge" and fighting would happen... a struggle for leadership and rank and duty sharing...

however if that same guy grabs a shell off the beach, and pretends to have a convincing conversation with that shell, then announces "i just got off the shellphone with god and he said if you guys don't go get water, and you guys don't go get food, and you guys don't go build shelter... he's gonna send a huge tidal wave to kill us all...

it's far easier to get stupid people to do things they know they should probably do anyway if/when you threaten them with the unknown.

you write down a bunch of common sense shit in a book and get people to live by them for the good of everyone... and it's easier to do this if you give them fear of the unknown.

fields don't plow themselves, you can't have your farmers killing each other because one guy fucked another guys wife, or letting them get sick because they were eating filthy pigs in the days before refrigeration and sanitation.

i'm all for religion, it keeps stupid people in line and is an overall net gain for society to have all these people afraid of offending a magic man in the clouds or afraid of having to spend eternal life in the scary burny place with the mean guy...

but it's all nonsense and deep down we both know it.

be a good person, you don't need an old book or a man behind a podium passing around a collection plate to accomplish that.

well... some people do...

but i don't, and i won't be lectured.

it'd be like me trying to convince you that santa clause is a real thing and if you don't leave out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk you'll get coal in your stocking.

it's silly and childish.

but i'm not gonna ruin a kids christmas by telling him.

merry christmas kiddo...