Still struggling.

[robvalue]

The best explanation I have heard is that it's a control mechanism. If you can make people feel shameful about things they are certain to do, or at least think about, then you can offer them the "cure". It's a way of breaking people down so they need you, to keep them in the religion, and most importantly keeping them obeying.

When religion first came about, it may well have been a way of organizing society. People wouldn't have listened to some guy saying, "Don't do that!" But as soon as it's "God says don't do that!" it carries extra weight.

When you look at religion, that is one of the main features. Parents establish control over their children by indoctrinating them before they have reached the age of critical thinking. The community puts pressure on people to join their religion, and ousts them if they don't.

Satan is just a perfect scapegoat. People realized that bad things happen, and if god is responsible for everything, blame comes back to him ultimately. So instead, they created a character who could shoulder all the blame, leaving god smelling of roses.