I think the police have replaced religion in this matter. Most religious people I know are mortally hypocritical. I believe the only reason police exist is to protect the rich from the poor.

[agnostic.com]

Bonaparte is also reputed to have said "never attribute anything to malice when stupidity is equally applicable!" but in actual fact he never said. Professor Cippola did come up with his 5 laws of human stupidity however.

But the masses are being controlled in many more ways than religion..through clever marketing practices and media control.
People blindly eat GMO chemical foods that cause cancer, drink sodas, which are full of dangerous chemicals and sugar, watch mindless TV programs, take dangerous synthetic prescription drugs instead of leading a healthy lifestyle, drive gas guzzling cars, etc.

Religion gives the perception of power to those feeling powerless. It creates a pecking order or social strata within community. Everyone becomes subordinate to someone … and there’s always someone ‘below’ you…

It provides a feeling of community, as though you’re part of the herd.. It allows some to stop thinking for themselves, following that herd (if over a cliff). It makes up a pretend place, where everything’s wonderful … forever ..so you never have to worry about death, because if you do what you’re told down here, that’s your reward.

I’ve often wondered what the difference is between humans and other animals… It appears to be the ability to recognise our eventual death. Perhaps religious people are the ‘missing link,’ that gap between those of us capable of accepting the reality we’ve only so recently ‘discovered’ ..and those who just quite can’t… As we’re forced to wade among them ~

My thoughts exactly. Religion is used to control under the disguise of helping. It drains your mind and wallet.

These links I put here provide some evidence that countries with a higher percentage of non believers do a better job of providing social benefits.

[en.wikipedia.org]
[elle.com]

Not only they like to be told what to do but that they want to believe that they are going to go to some mythical place and be forever happy. They don't want to except that life has an end so live it like today is your last.