Complex Societies Evolved without Belief in All-Powerful Deity

"'They are tools of control used by purveyors of religion to cement their grip on power,' says Pagel. 'As soon as you have a large society generating lots of goods and services, this wealth can be put to use by someone who can grab the reins of power. The most immediate way to do this is to align yourself with a supreme deity and then make lists of things people can and cannot do, and these become 'morals' when applied to our social behaviour.'"