Explaining memes like conspiracy theories, religions, (sub)cultures etc has the same problem as explaining evolution – it's really easy and convenient to explain them as if they were intentional, and that's how they look at a cursory glance. It's easier to treat a religions' aspects "designed" to attain and retain as many followers as possible as if they were, well, "designed", and inserting disclaimers that they're in fact results of memetic evolution is as awkward as inserting disclaimers that genetic evolution is a result of directionless radiation and selection and not some magical process that only mutates in certain "beneficial" directions.

So you get people that go "oh this is what evolution wants" or "haha you believe in something intentionally made up by ancient priests to control the people" / "haha you believe <aspect of religion> was intentionally made up by ancient priests to control the people" with no good way to avoid it.