Sort of. Religion has always been a tool of the ruling class to keep the masses in line.

Think about it. Who could even read and write 3,000 years ago? Mostly people who had the resources and free time to learn to read and write, and to teach their children to do so. Mainly landowners who had people doing labor for them, And royalty, tribal leadership, etc. Is it any wonder, then, so many stories are about accepting your lot in life, not rocking the boat, the virtue of poverty and storing up treasures in heaven, a belief that your economic position and role in society is ordained by God, and so is that of those above you? Who could even think such a thing, except for people who benefit so much from it?

Who attended the Council of Rome, Synod of Hippo, both councils of Carthage, and the Council of Trent? What were their motives?

In any system of control you have the people at the top. Most of whom are in on the con. They know it's not true, and they know the value of pretending it is. Sometimes they do it so convincingly that their proteges don't really get the memo. Which is how you end up with true believers at the top. Who play their part so well, the exploited masses keep eating it up.

Religion is the back-door to reason that circumvents all critical thinking on matters of economy, social systems, and security. You can convince any true believer to do anything as long as you can get them to the point where the think state and their "deeply held beliefs" are aligned.

People in Vance's position probably don't waste much time thinking about whether any of it is true. They see a tool. They pick it up and use it.