Religion - A Sophisticated Strategy to Gain Control Over the Masses

Abstract

Among matters that occupy the mind of people since early history are fears of the unknown and death that have most likely triggered the need for a patronizing superpower, namely, God. Limited understanding of surrounding wonders, hard survival, and refusal to comply with our relatively short life span have probably prompted this need, which intensified with growing hostility among tribes and rising civilizations fighting over territory, resources and leadership. Although physical power has always been a dominating factor in these human struggles (as is among animals), the developed brain and verbal communication provided an additional powerful tool used by smart individuals and minorities to gain control over ignorant, frightened masses. In convincing the audience about their ability to convey prayers and requests to the ‘heavenly patron’, God, these people (e.g., Shamans, Prophets, Priests, Monks, Rabies, Islamic preachers) have actually constituted a new status, ‘sanctified mediators’, from which the road to establishment of a new religious movement, based on an unusual individual, was paved. To ratify their sacred status, these people cleverly attributed the creation of the world (still an unsolved issue) to God, and formed a virtual reality accompanied by rituals that attracted the masses. They exploited the need of people for a patronizing superpower to constitute a religion that provided ‘answers’ to the rising curiosity, limited scientific knowledge, and spiritual requirements of the masses, but also to gain superiority as well as advance their own abundance and wealth. Not only that people now had a God to lean on, the sanctified mediators further strengthened their status by composing social and religious rules with an entire set of orders (do and don’t do) and worships that included prayers and ceremonies, aiming to please God and obtain his mercy and support. In administrating the worships these mediators utilized the amazing obedience consent of people to satisfy their spiritual needs, and so they took control over the masses.