Why Does Religion Exist?

Arthur C Clarke once said "It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him." This quote seems to summarize the many aspects of religion in that all the aspects seem to point to one fact: Man created "God". Many of the considerations can be taken into account when attempting to define religion. Being that there are so many, including some that aren't very well understood, there will only be a few discussed here. These will include the intellectual aspects that go into every religion, the psychological factors of religion, and the sociological influences on religion. We'll take an in depth look at each factor and also my own opinion on what religion is.
It seems that religion exists as a belief system to help people explain events that would otherwise be unexplainable. In fact Kenneth Dick said in "Man, Father of the Gods" "All religions start as a mere imaginary explanation for something not understood, and that is all they are." …