What I’m saying is there’s a chance a churchgoer or a pastor is doing it for selfless reasons, where that is never the case for sports.

I never said otherwise.

But the whole point here is we're talking not about selfishness we're talking about manipulation.

Manipulation of others to do ones bidding is not the purpose of sports. Panem et circenses sure but not "do my bidding proles"

And I'm extremely aware of how people act and grow up in religions: I grew up in a very hierarchical religious structure and have seen the well intentioned abuses that people earnestly trying to help inflict on others. Manipulation is manipulation, ill intentioned or otherwise. And when you get higher up in a hierarchical structure that professes faith you will reach a point where everyone knows it's fake and chooses to act otherwise.