Why exactly is religion so prevalent through human history, especially nowadays?

It is also a way to cope with our limits. The idea that someone up there is watching us, has plans for us, can hear our prayers, someone who has all the answers, who will take care of our soul after death, reuniting us with all our friends and family in the afterlife... Well, it's a very powerful idea - and easy to exploit - that can alleviate people's suffering, even if there are no good reasons to believe that it's real. In some ways, our condition as finite beings with limited knowledge is projected backwards into the idea of God, who represents everything we can't be. For these reasons it's also a perfect idea to be perpetuate as an asset of power.

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