“Bandits were the biggest untapped resource in the galaxy! There are billions of them across the borderlands. Human wreckage, left over from corporate wars. The’re broken, but we make them feel special, so they fight for us. And die for us. Because they finally have a place where they belong. A family. My family. The universe is theirs… as long as they obey.” – Tyreen Calypso, Borderlands 3

This quote is interesting because it comes from the leader of the Cult of the Vault (COV). In this short section of dialogue all religion is explained.

Tyreen Calypso has an annoying streamer personality, she just wants people to adore her, to follow her and to die for her. It was just a matter of making the lost and desperate souls of the Borderlands feel important, loved and special. These savage people have someone to look up to, in previous games the clan leaders would lead by force but Tyreen has built a community where everyone is valued and that sort of feeling is better than fear or employment.

A similar situation can be seen in real life with religious groups. The human connections found within religious communities is what really made religion survive all these years. A charismatic speaker is much more interesting than a book like the Bible. I remember the enthusiasm that RE teachers had at school when telling stories, the actual stories were dull but as a class group we could laugh together and make it fun.

This is the human side of religion. A community that makes believing in ideals fun. We see similar tactics from terrorist recruiters, criminal gangs and more recently the British Armed Forces. Everyone wants to be wanted and that sense of belonging is what Tyreen promises with the COV. A sense of belonging whether with one person or many is definitely a special thing and can cause a lifetime of happiness.