In the history of the struggle of mankind after something which gives satisfaction, there is found nothing so potent in its influence, for either good or evil, as religious belief.
This belief has been advocated by those who think it is for their own interest to have the people believe it; and in proportion as leaders succeed in imparting desires of priestly creation, are the people led to accept these doctrines, as symbolical of the desires reflected by the originators of the doctrines. If the progenitor of a doctrine anticipates pleasure from his plan, he imparts a sense of his own anticipation; and the people are led to attribute to the doctrines the merit of the sense of anticipation reflected from him.
If the desire of the originators of a doctrine is for power and domination, this idea becomes their God; and as they impart their sense of God, they inspire in mankind a love for what they teach, as containing good. If the doctrine teaches belief in Justice, then Justice surely becomes the peculiar attribute of their God, and nothing is pleasurable to them which is not in accordance with their ideas of Justice. In proportion as a sense of good is imparted in connection with their ideas of Justice, are men led to believe this sense is derived from the idea; and so they become converts to the sense, when they think it is the merit of the idea which has converted them.
