Does Religion have an evolutionary purpose? How can you explain its persistence???

Humans have an insatiable desire for order and security. This has been an advantage for us by providing a means to study and gather information. Once we order things in a manner which is more easily understandable, humans sometimes make the mistake of uming that this order is inherent in reality itself and...ta da... religion is born. I think of it as a side effect of intelligence. Now, if we could just, collectively, become a little more self-aware.