There was an article in "The Sun" a literary magazine, about two
months ago talking about the rise of the world's major modern
religions corresponding to the rise of agriculture.  the main gist
was that before agriculture, people's religion was pantheistic--we
were "at one" with all of the creation and all animals and plants,
wind, water, sun, etc. had spiritual entities that we were in
intimate existance with. Human spirituality was based on being a
creature that "belonged" on the earth and was "taken care of"by the
earth. We didn't need to be "saved" from anything.

After agriculture was developed, religions evolved that
acknowledged mankind's suffering and  and need for deliverance from
evil. Earth no longer took care of us. Maybe this was the "knowledge
of good and evil".  We had to battle with the elements and pray for
rain.  There were no famines before mono-culture.  Once people
started to plant only one kind of wheat, potato, etc., then crops
were subject to mass blights and pests.   Religion was a very
effective way for the "government" to organize the people to work
long hours to produce grains.  It took more bulk to feed people on
grains than on proteins. It took more man hours of the "lower
classes" to produce food for the whole population.  Religion became
the "opiate of the masses"..Why do we need to be "saved" from
ourselves, evil, temptation??  We instead need to re-balance by
finding the sustainable systems that have been in existance from the
beginning.