As a Christian minister, I believe in God and the devil — and I know whose side today’s pious Republicans are on
Where is that devil and what is he up to? First of all, like in any good horror movie, the devil is always right here in the house. In the case of the current evangelical political machine, the devil is all too often wearing pastoral robes and expensive tailored suits. For many years, the evangelical church has pointed to the devil outside in the world, but the devil is the one doing the pointing. Secondly, the devil is always up to the same thing: creating division through fear.
Gods were invented so the in-group could pray to smite enemies. They were designed to suck for the out-group.
Eh there’s a fair argument that they were invented to explain the things that at the time were unexplained and then taken control of by those who wished to do that. Every culture has creator gods or spirits.
Not to say that modern belief in God or gods isn’t built around oppression as it absolutely is
Priests came along and said, “do what I say and the crops will grow, everyone will be happy.”
After some years of crops failing and priests getting strung up, they evolved somewhat. “I’m just a messenger, I can have a word with the big guy but if the crops fail it’s because you guys didn’t do what God told me to tell you to do. Sinners.”
Nice scam.