Religion has traditionally been a core fiber of the social fabric. People have always wondered where we came from, why we’re here, and where we’re going. Mythologies developed within social groups to address these core questions–and power structures developed around those mythologies. Society depended on religion to maintain social order with ethics and rules, allocate resources, define social position, and provide education. This process happened all  over the world and literally hundreds of mythologies have led to thousands of religions–starting with worship of natural phenomenon and leading to the invention of supernatural overseers to justify the authority of the social structures created.