I don't understand why people think religions are weak. I really, really don't. Yes, you can accomplish more, in theory, with that much gold in troops. But not with the moral high ground. And not in peaceful situations. And not in ways that don't make it look like you're hostile. All of these are worth the extra price in gold.
Having played a powerful Ruler and now a powerful Founder/Ruler, I can say quite definitively that I have more game-mechanic power as a religious leader...And as with Rulership, the RP power of a religious leader is what you make with it.
