I've seen more of the opposite; religion as the cause.

Religion is a tool. It's not a tool I use but it can be useful. Think of a hammer. Someone uses it to drive nails, fine. Use it to hit people over the head, not good.

This does not really surprise me. People do things for reasons that, at least at the time, seem good and sufficient to them. They do it to scratch some kind of itch. Christianity, like everything else, advances certain value propositions. One that is particularly appealing to certain people is absolution from guilt and empowerment to lead a better life. If you're upset about where your life is at, don't have an effective or sure plan to improve it, and someone comes along with a solution coupled with a ready-made community of people prepared to support and encourage you, that might look pretty good. Especially so if you are primarily concerned about not being "wrong". And it may work at least for a time. It may even put you decisively over the top for life. I don't deny that.

But that doesn't make it an accurate way to explain or predict outcomes in life, either. It doesn't make it an accurate mental model of reality. That is my problem with it; I don't contend that it doesn't work at all, for anyone, ever. Clearly that's not the case, or Christianity (and other major religions) would not have so many adherents and such an outsize influence on history.

However it's working for fewer and fewer people, especially in its most strident and rigid forms. And since there's no evidence Christians have lower rates of suicide, divorce, mental health issues, and criminality, I'd suggest that most of its benefits remain aspirational and unrealized. But ... hope springs eternal, and it can take a long time to let go of hope, even if it's not working. Especially if it's all you know.

This reinforces my feeling that we should extend respect and empathy to everyone, regardless of their religious practices.