Before modification by Dunstan at 09/03/2017 07:19:01 AM
Everyone has motivations, and taking out religion deprives the author of the means of explaining motivations of characters through that prism. It might not be needed in a world where the divine is immanent in places and through avatars, and it seems like Jordan was perhaps initially thinking in that way, not only with the Forsaken, but also with the odd Green Man in the first book. However, he never really developed that idea and quickly moved away from it. I think it was a mistake. I can't think of other fantasy series that are bereft of religion the way Wheel of Time is, though I'll admit I don't read a ton of them.
It isn't a lack of "faith", they have loads of THAT, so much as... Complete and unquestioning certainty.
Personally at it's core it is the stereotypical "Scientist who believe only in logic, reason, and that which can be scientifically proven"... After you give said scientist the ability to 100% prove the existence of everything from fate, God, the soul, to just out and out magic.
The weird thing is how the bloody HELL the mindset survived the Breaking... It's as if after having proven the undeniable existence of such things, they decided to program their findings into the recently proven to exist genetic memory humanity(aka:the old blood) so as to stop any future holy war... Having forgotten, of course, that they had just proven the existence of Gods perfectly capable of starting up their own.
WoT humans are the type that if they met some kind of new god, would have no problem believing in their divinity, they can see their power with their own two eyes after all, but... Would nevertheless try and haggle out their every last miracle and blessing... Would likely end up rather pissing off some more egotistical deities.