onetrack:
Yes that's a good psychological analogy. It's how taboos are created. Also another factor in religion is people wanting to understand how things actually work. If they cannot explain something logically (rain, for example), then they will resort to supernatural explanations.

Exactly what the DOCTUFOS said about ignorant people. Most things happening in the world are physical and psychological and psychological, but religious people think of them all as spiritual.

Doctufos: Eta-n-tagba 13:1-3
1. An ignorant homo will explain what he does not understand in a way that his fellow ignorant homos shall think that they now understand it vividly.
2. But all such are false knowledge.
3. And when a wise person comes to explain that same thing in truth, the ignorant homos shall not listen to him.

MostHated:
So I came across this piece. Looks strangely very true to me. What do you guys think?
A group of scientists placed 5 monkeys in a cage and placed in the middle, a ladder with bananas on the top.
Every time a monkey went up the ladder, the scientists soaked the rest of the monkeys with cold water, which they hated.
After a while, every time a monkey went up the ladder, the others beat up the one on the ladder so they wouldn't get soaked with water.
After some time, no monkey dared to go up the ladder regardless of the temptation for the fear of being beaten.
The Scientists then decided to substitute one of the monkeys and bring in a new monkey. The 1st thing this new monkey did was to go up the ladder to get the banana. Immediately the other monkeys beat him up.
After several beatings, the new member learned not to climb the ladder even though he never knew why.
A 2nd monkey from d original ones was substituted and a new monkey brought in. the same thing occurred. He climbed to get the banana. The 1st new monkey that was earlier beaten for trying to get the bananas, participated in the beating of the 2nd new monkey even though he didn't know why he was beating the new one. He did so because others were doing same.
A 3rd monkey was changed and the same was repeated (beating).
The 4th was substituted and the beating was repeated.
Finally, the 5th monkey was replaced.
What was left was a group of 5 monkeys that even though never received a cold shower, continued to beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder.
If it was possible to ask the monkeys why they would beat up all those who attempted to go up the ladder ... I bet you the answer would be ... "I don't know — that's how things are done around here"

Hillarious!