Russian priest tells soldiers to die as 'sacrifice to God' - CNN

[Hugh_Lebowski]

5. Most people think religion was invented as a tool form mass social control

And I think there's a lot of truth to that.

But at the same time, I think EVEN MORE ... it was invented as a means to get 'lesser' men to fight and die for the interests of rich/royal people.

You had to be REALLY brave to go out and fight back in the day, basically hand to hand in most cases, to risk being run through with swords and lances and arrows, etc, and possibly suffering a long, slow painful death.

So you tell men that if they die (for you) in battle, they're going to 'a better place', where they actually don't die, it's a paradise, etc.

I think if there's a *primary* reason this whole god/heaven afterlife thing was made up ... it's to manipulate/steel the hearts of men into fighting for you ... without fear of death.