Magical thinking can bring comfort to some. If you've lost a loved one, especially a spouse or child, the thought of the possibility (or better yet, the likelihood if you're a believer) you might get to see and spend time with them again is a strong draw. So to is the idea that you have a purpose, that there's a plan, and while it's clearly not the case on Earth/reality (see Donald Trump) that good ultimately always triumphs and evil is ultimately always punished.
There's a reason these ideas have been around so long and bring in so much money and power. They're appealing. If you don't examine them too closely or question. The danger comes with the certainty and need to convince others. That's where you get gay people being given electroshock therapy or little girls getting acid splashed in their face for wanting to learn to read. Or just plain junk science that might delay advances in humanity's progress for no good reason, other than propping up outdated but comforting magical thinking.