Yep. Dragging superstition into an exciting subject such as our understanding of gravity and the connotations for our knowledge of the world does tend to disappoint the more rational amongst us.

Of course, if we didn't have religion we'd have to invent it, according to Voltaire. I reckon it's all down to modesty. You want to rule the world but it would be vanity to say it's because you want to so you invent a nothing concept that you can attribute your greed to and do it in the "name" of it.

One way or another, and Stalinist dogma can easily fall into that category, (the nothing concept being the people themselves) religion is the excuse, but is it the cause? We certainly see a rise in people considering blasphemy a crime against their reason, and in that sense, the religion is the end product. Although the effect is to increase the stranglehold by those doing well out of it.

It was Voltaire by the way who said that those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.