Now that’s f….funny!!!
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Waste is a terrible thing to mind.
It’s an interesting question. In some totalitarian systems, yes, the government has a religious aspect to it. An infamous example is the National Socialists in Germany. There were cases of entire families committing suicide at the end of WWII because they didn’t want to live without National Socialism.
I think what’s more common, broadly speaking, is that governments try to use religion to their own means. Historically, governments share power with aristocracies and religious leaders. Weaker governments are limited by what the economic leaders will tolerate. Religious institutions, which doubled as the educated class, represented the masses and what they would tolerate from the political leaders.
But in stronger governments, the other institutions lose some of that influence. Strong, authoritarian governments don’t bend to religious leaders. Instead of being limited by the masses through religion, authoritarians use the state religion to bend the will of the people. This can be effective because religious leaders represent the most educated, and are privy to cosmic knowledge and secrets that commoners couldn’t understand. So if a religious leader, with all his books and education, stands next to a King and announces that the gods have anointed him to rule with absolute power, who are you to question that?
Today, that role that religion used to play in national politics is filled by “science.” Do what I say, because science. Here’s a scientist who says I’m right, and you must listen to him, because science. You wouldn’t understand.
(This is not to downplay the important role of actual science, any more than sincere religion. I’m just saying that there’s a healthy dose of skepticism required when any of them get too cozy with political leaders.)