Lying

If you ask 100 people if it is right to revere a man because he is an an aristocrat or a member of the royal family they will answer it is plain silly, but 90% of them will go on bowing their heads and breathing heavily in the presence of such a person.
Seeing the irrationality of a belief does not mean that people can-or will ever try to-get rid of it.
Religion may be a bunch of fairy tales but fairy tales too are basic necessities.
Religion may be bunk but it makes many people more understanding, wiser, more tolerant, more broad minded and happier than they would be without it.(or it should)
It gives meaning to many lives and as we are reluctant to accept the idea that life has no special meaning, we should be grateful for the gift.
There are the mad bigots of the Ayatollah type, there are the hypocrites who make a good living as workers in the church industry and there are of course, the honest believers for whom religion is the true meaning of life.
But it is not the true believers who keep the churches powerful, it is the vast army of non-believers who help to preserve the churches' strength.
Religions may be true or untrue, but the need for religious belief is certainly real for many people.

Lies too can be a need. For many reasons, the most important being not to acknowledge the truth.