Holy men and Morris the cat

Most of us don't like to say anything to believers because we understand the futility of reason in the face of faith. As far as I can tell, people can convince themselves of almost anything. Some very intelligent people like to keep the concept of divinity alive in their daily lives, even if they have lost their faith (sort of like a cat - doesn't really DO anything but makes life seem more comfy and familiar) That's nice.
As for me, I think we fabricate gods to give credence to what we want to believe is true, right and worthy. Over time, as a population's understanding of truth and rightness shifts further and further away from what their ancestors believed; so new gods, messiahs and prophets have to be manufactured to house and promote the new truths. I'm not saying all these figures were complete fictions. There may actually have been real people who had divinity thrust upon them - with or without their knowledge or consent. Others may have simply seen the opportunity play an enticing role, and seized it. Some of these divine beings, like Jesus, may have been completely fictitious constructs employed to make new ideas more convincing or appealing to a broader audience.
Normally believers sputter and protest against the possibility that their gods are little more than a narrative device or a marketing mascot. They can't imagine why anyone would do such a thing. Well, likely the choice to create these holy men were made then for the same reason advertisers create spokespeople today. Take Morris the cat who acted as the spokescritter for a cat food company. Was there a REAL cat? Yes, there were actually several real cats who played this same role. But AND THIS IS IMPORTANT - none of them could really talk.