I get where you're coming from on this.

For example: why not believe that "god" used physics and science to create all of this. Gently manipulating everything as it developed to create humanity and the universe the way they wanted it to be?

The religious issue with this idea is that it undermines the very idea of their belief. God created the heavens and the earth. Period. God didn't create a bunch of stuff then shape it to become the heavens and the earth.... No, he thought it, and it happened.

The difference being that in a more reasonable interpretation, using physics and whatnot to create everything, would be a slow and not very profound process. Under the premise that God basically snapped his fingers and poof, earth... That's incredible. Impossible by any other measure.

By inviting a more measured approach, you diminish the perceived power of God, making the entire concept less awesome (in the sense of inspiring awe), and wondrous. This is the root of faith. Speaking more generally "my Deity can do all this with the snap of a finger, we are nothing compared to them"

By putting people into this subdued mindset of being so much less powerful than God, you can basically exert full control over them "in the name of our Lord". You really only need to convince them that what you want them to do is "the will of God" and they'll be mentally servile to whatever it is.

That's the root of religion. Control. Not eternal salvation. Not saving your soul from damnation. Not doing good for goodness sake.... Control.

Simply, making god seem less wondrous, even by a small amount, makes people less malleable to suggestion, for what God "commands" of them.