I wonder if you God botherers realise that when you pray and stuff what you're actually doing is making obeisance to the Roman Emperor Constantine? You see, in the 4th century AD, Constantine did two things:

1. He established Constantinople, on the Bosphorus, as the new capital of the empire and 2. he adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

I suspect that the two are connected. By moving the capital to the eastern edge of the empire (probably a rather silly thing to do in retrospect) he was in danger of losing control. Then he, or more likely his advisers, had a brainwave: he, or they, realised that you could use religion as a means of social control. In fact, this wasn't just a brainwave, it was a stroke of pure genius - as brilliant as some of the scientific discoveries which came much, much later - but much less benign.

Anyway, they searched among the various alternatives available and finally chose some obscure middle eastern effusion called Christianity - which they had, hitherto, persecuted - but which, they realised, had all the elements that they needed (or could be tweaked to include them). For a start, it was monotheistic with an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful God like an idealised Roman Emperor (i.e. this God-Emperor had all the qualities that Constantine wished he had). Almost in passing this super-being had, of course, created everything ... or 'fathered' everything? ... let's not go there! In addition, Christianity contained this highly useful concept called "sin". According to this religion all people are inherently sinful and need to be absolved of their sins - otherwise they go to a terrible place called Hell when they die. Everyone fears death but under Christianity its even more scary!

So, they set up Christian churches in every settlement in the Empire and appointed priests to intercede with God and 'help' people to absolve themselves of sin.

Soon, everyone was so pre-occupied with sin that they were much less likely to rebel against the Emperor.

But, God botherers, Constantine's been dead for around one and two thirds millennia - you don't have to kneel before him any more! That people still do, just goes to show what a powerful concept he latched onto, doesn't it?