For some people religion is a great source of comfort. These are people that lead hideous, wretched lives full of abuse and put downs. And that abuse does not stem from religion, it stems from the fact that humans can just be cruel to each other.

The thought that somebody, maybe an "invisible friend", loves them, and there will be some sort of justice for them in this life or another one, is not an unreasonable thing for these poor creatures to think. Mocking and scorning doesn't really help them.