The Long Con

Every great con works because the mark is greedy.
You give him a taste of easy money, make him insist on being in on the next game, and he's ready to be had.

Life.
We want to live for as long as possible. Some of us hedge our bets and follow a religion that promises life after death.
We have a taste of life and want more.
Then along comes religion and, knowing the con, and knowing the mark wants more life, tells him he can't have more... because you have to make the mark insist on having more life.

The mark must come to you, or it's not a fair con.

So religion says, "Okay, but the catch is, you have to give us money and do what we tell you in life if you want eternal life after death. Oh yeah, if you don't, there's this place called Hell..."

As a money con takes advantage of monetary greed, a religious con takes advantage of life greed.
Life greed and monetary greed have this in common; both want something for nothing.
The money con sees unearned money. The religious con sees unearned immortality.

The old cliche is, "You can't con an honest man."

Religion figured out how to con an honest man... you first make him dishonest.