why do some people say that religion was made up just for control of the masses?

Religion started out as worshiping the sun for giving us life. The Egyptians were the first to start worshiping the sun, and they had an enemy which was dark.

Later the sun turned into "god", the dark turned into the "devil."

Religion evolved from this idea that god (Sun) gave us life, and the devil (darkness) took away life.

Edit: And the people who are uneducated about religion are the ones giving me thumbs down. Gee, I didn't know people didn't know the true story of religion.

“WHEN religion is not encouraging strife it is acting as a drug which numbs the human conscience and fills the human brain with escapist fantasies. .*.*. [It] causes human beings to be narrow, superstitious, full of hatred and fear.” The former Methodist missionary who wrote that added: “These charges are true. There is bad and good religion.”—Start Your Own Religion.

‘Surely that is unfair criticism,’ some may say. Yet, who can deny the facts of history? To a large extent, religion—defined as “the service and worship of God or the supernatural”—has a shocking record. It should enlighten and inspire us. More often than not, however, what it does is engender strife, intolerance, and hatred.

People need to read the Bible for themselves, make sure what they are taught is really in the Bible, and not just take people at there word. Look up the history of teachings.

"control of the masses"
"king of kings"

"..."

If that were the case then i'd like to know why Jesus died.... Jesus died to save people from religion and make them spiritual... "So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit." - 1 Cor 2:13

I'd say that making up such a story is more plausible than talking snakes, virgins giving birth, parting seas, a flood covering the entire Earth, resurrection, etc.