According to anthropologist (and left-anarchist) David Graeber, money evolved from debt (not barter). The ruling class invented religion as an instrument of intimidation and debt collection. The words for debt and guilt are the same in most languages (like German "Schuld").
"[...] All major world religions grew in response to money, whether informed by the beliefs of people living in a money economy, or in reaction to its evils."
http://p2pfoundation.net/First_Five_Thousand_Years_of_Debt
Now we have the savior of debt-free currency to deliver us from all sin.
At least, until Ripple puts us all into debt to each other again...