i would advise to learn about the political aspect of religion, the very thing you are referring to. if it was solely a control mechanism, it wouldn't be so attractive to so many people so long. same goes for stories of zeus and the teachings of confucius. there are rules codifying behavior and moral attitudes, stories to explain why and how etc... tradition is an old box with timeless priceless artifacts, its a solution to problems long forgotten... but what do i know, i was raised atheist
Israel