Unhappy, simple-minded people cling to prophecy of change, children's fairy tales of a day when everything will be better and some paternal figure will protect them and give them all the presents they ever wanted.

It's not a coincidence that education and exposure to diverse cultures and beliefs tends to make for a less religious population and why religion is shrinking in larger cities and more connected locations around the world.

The problem is that these people are basically armed serfs, in indentured servitude to their ideological leaders, they are pure political capital if you can harness them and holy shit have we seen that plan bear fruit.