Some US Christians' Definition of Religious Freedom:

[Voltaire2]

16. cultural evolutionary theories about religion generally hold that religious signalling

was a primary advantage that helped establish "angry god" religions all over the world. Before there were modern nation states to regulate social norms, and in particular to regulate commerce, religious signalling provided the basis for trust relations between strangers, even distant strangers. It allowed for commerce across vast distances, with trust relationships initiated first by religious affiliation, (and enforced by an angry god). Religious signalling for trust relations is still used in parts of the world where government is too corrupt/weak/nonexistent.

Its use now in functioning secular societies is primarily to divide people.