Interesting that you, non-aligned lefty, agree that religion is not the root of all evil. As for its being the root of all good, nobody claimed that.

As far as Opus Dei murdering its political opponents, that's not even a conspiracy theory, that's absurd slander. But for those who believe in the crackpot notion that religion is the root of all evil, the conspiracy would be that religious groups conspire together to stay in power.

The obvious answer to that allegation is that not only do they fight constantly with each other, but on the rare chances they get what they supposedly want: one of their own in power, they are bitterly disappointed in the result. Example: anybody who thinks the "Religious Right" in the US is happy with what Bush has done for them is hopelessly out of touch. (They think he has let them down badly.)

Of course being out of touch is very appropriate for somebody who believes in any of the conspiracies I have listed--which is why I am surprised that so many Mudcatters, who are educated and in general in touch with reality, believe in these conspiracies.