In other words, does the feeling of an earnest belief in something supernatural compensate certain qualities that humans lack? It is hard to say if the belief itself does, and it is impossible to say whether or not the object of their belief exists.
By observation, belief in the supernatural, or “religion”, brings oft-perceived oddity to the believer. Persecution, ridicule, and things of the like are not withheld from such people. They are deemed “strangers”, “outcasts”, and are quite often killed in the name of complacency, contentment, and convenience.
The question is, why do these people willingly step into such a thing? What drives them to go as beacons of their “faith”, to die in the name of Allah, Jesus, or Loki?
Strength, of course.
Even if it is false hope, even if it is simply their very nature, searching for answers, fabricating one, and hyping it up - strength is still alive and well, and strength is what fuels other virtues such as courage and mercy. Yes, one does become stronger through religion. Each time a martyr dies in the name of his beliefs, he proves this once again.
Any passion that a man may have causes the same effect. When you have a passion, you have a “purpose” (or a false sense of purpose, but that is irrelevant), and man is stronger with a purpose, a passion, a religion.
Nos.