What is the purpose of religion?

Because all 366 of them reckon they'r the right ones!

to propogate itself

Manipulation through fear.
Political power
Influence on policy.

None of them say Do this and you’ll go to Heaven !.
Yet plenty say If you don’t do this you’re going to Hell for eternity !

Began as a way for our ancestors to try and come to terms with the universes, they came up with stories to explain what they had no way of ever being able to work out themselves. Then over time it got added to with newer stories and people began to incorporate themselves into the mythology, so as to rule with divinity and to set the rules of how they wanted their society run. The Pharaohs for example were god kings, and considering the cult leaders we've seen pop up over the years, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad and so on, then it's more than likely there were other cult leaders throughout human history which influenced different human societies and their beliefs in the time before humans started writing things down. But it's all just human made, we didn't have answers so we made up our own.

Nothing controls people like fear. So if a select few tell you to do certain things you will be punished when you die. Of course no way to proof it. Fear causes people not to use rational thought.

Humanity trying to theorize how we got here

Control

It is the structure that reveals our relationship to God. If you reject it then seeing its purpose follows that. I don’t see humankind understanding our current origins.
Science is sadly lacking still.

It is a personal guide it's when we try to force it or force others to give it up that it divides us.
All division is not bad an abuser from it's victim for example.

People make it what they want

Faith in religion is supposed to provide hope

to build your own empire with subjects dumb enough to worship and give their hard earned money to you

Religion exists so you will give money and power to some guys who don't want to work for a living. It is the most evil thing that has ever happened to this pitiful broken planet. All religions.

I can’t go into that rabbit hole without offending anyone. But at the same time if I do there. I could’t give a fuck about going to hell for my opinion.

People are the problem

It's to understand the world we live in. But there are a lot of false religions out there that are self-serving and divisive