Individuals who control the money, and hence the leadership of this country, find religionists to be useful, convenient idiots. The device is faith, meaning getting the masses to believe without evidence. If you get them to believe a lie even with cognitive disbelief disabled, you can get them to do anything you want without revolt or interference.

How does this play out? You get people who honestly have faith and a belief in a general set of religious principles. Many of them haven't even read their Bible but they go to church or watch TV church and soak in whatever they're told. And the religious leaders tell them about the trouble in this country and get them worried. Stuff like premarital sex, abortion, no prayers in school, Muslims. And they're preoccupied with those topics. And then they vote for republicans who tell these people that they care about their Christian values. But at the same time, those republicans are taking away those Christians' jobs and security. Sleight of hand if you will. But the voters feel good about their choice of elected official who is helping them prepare for the next world.

The republicans depend upon certain religious leaders to help them get votes and the religious leaders depend upon republicans to get more people in the pews and government financial aid (benefits, money to parochial schools). Codependency.