See, the way I see it is that nonbelievers don’t get the hold that religion has on people. Usually, they will say something like, “religion holds sway over people because they fear death and want to believe that it’s not all over for them when they die.” Sometimes, they will say that it is about social control. That makes sense from the perspective of the rulers, but it can’t explain why ordinary people would fall for all the malarkey. Most people don’t have an innate desire to be controlled.

What religion is about is making mid people feel smart and special. Hey, you can’t get a degree in quantum mechanics because you aren’t that bright? No problem. You can have more knowledge than that physicist does and you don’t even have to go to school for ten years. You can just read this malignant, idiotic book and you know more than everyone else.

Don Henley had it right:

No one was ever certain What it was that he was sayin' But they loved it when he told them They were better than the rest

It’s all about hubris. Which is why the religious have so many arbitrary rules to follow because it makes them feel superior.