I really enjoy pointing out the amazing part of being, the little things, the butterfly that appears unexpectedly that flutters and passes by, the stars in the sky, an amazing coincidence of happenstance that flutters by. I don’t assign any of that to someone or something, inexplicably, unexpectedly, deciding that this tiny being on an insignificant ball of rock should suddenly command attention. It makes no sense. I prefer the idea that I make my own meaning, and I choose my own destiny. I choose to be a good person, and I choose to be who I want to be. I don’t need a Sky Daddy to tell me to be good. I just am good.
We have an innate need to feel loved, to have answers, and have some degree of control over our lives. Depending on our lived experience, we can find all of those things in something “higher” than ourselves.
While, on a black and white level, religion doesn’t -actually- give us any of those things, it can be a very convincing proxy.
Are you lonely? Need community? God’s got you.
Don’t understand something? Well of course you don’t. Only God does, so as long as you have faith in God, you’re good.
Have you lost control of your life? Do you feel too small in the modern world? Don’t worry, just follow God. He knows the way.
All that being said; None of this is meant to talk down to religious people. Any of us can fall into these pits, especially in the modern world. I have zero problem with religion. It’s those who exploit this facet of humanity that I find deplorable.