Great thread. Something I just read on the subject of the origin of organized religion by Strabon, a contemporary of Augustus.
"The great mass of common people cannot be induced by mere force of reason to devote themselves to piety, virtue, and honesty. Superstition must therefore be employed, and even this is insufficient without the aid of the marvelous and the terrible."
Perhaps its not entirely on-topic, but I thought it relevant to the discussion.
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