This is really interesting because you describe yourself as a Buddhist, and I would have thought that Jesus, for example, and Buddha were basically saying the same things, differences being cultural interpretation and the politics of the churches since. Karmic balance / overseeing god, or do you see it differently?
As for belief without evidence, WMD’s spring to mind. It’s a human foible not in the least reserved for the religious. Trust comes from familiarity and social context more than evidence. Those in a position of power, commanding the trust of many, are prone to abusing it.
Sadly villains, and their gullible followers, have many guises.