Religion is a bond that keeps society behaving. Otherwise, we are all animals, and we have our animalistic itch, which goes beyond social norms.
Every religion existed out of our fear. We were scared, and we needed something to cling upon.
It could be a stone, a supernatural, or living humans as gods.
In the early days, we bowed to nature, and the sun, moon, and animals prayed.
With time, this changed, and we ended up joining camps.
The religious evangelicals made us join groups with dominance, fear, or luring with food/clothes.
During imperialism and monarchy, priests and the church played a huge role in making decisions. A king cannot make decisions without the church on their side. Other leisure, plays, and arts had religion and churches showing their dominance.
Religion drives the economy: from priests to flower sellers to sweet sellers to cloth sellers, all depend on the temple and auspicious days of prayers.
With democracy, our politicians are banking on religion and the vote bank politics. The grand divide is increasing more and more.
Jai Shree Ram.