Since the masses of the people are inconstant, full of unruly desires, passionate, and reckless of consequences, they must be filled with fears to keep them in order. The ancients did well, therefore, to invent gods, and the belief in punishment after death.
"The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark". Book by Carl Sagan, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection", quoting "The Histories", work by Polybius, 1995.