Subject: 'god' as surrogate self
Imagining a ‘god’ of any ilk, thought to be manifesting present experience, identifies a surrogate for instigation of whatever’s now happening, thankfully exonerating oneself of any responsibility.

And then, of course, there’s confession of all you’ve done wrong to a priestly fellow-human anointed to absolve you of otherwise potentially eternal consequences. This practice was initiated during the fifth century CE, and then formalized as a Catholic sacrament in the thirteenth century.

Early on it afforded priests with all the confidentiality of believers. Imagine a local guy who’s influential in the community having all the dope on everyone present, right down to their most recent ‘impure’ thought.

Tom