The religion surrounding the Sea God had an ancient history spanning over a hundred thousand years. By their modern era, it had evolved into a massive, tangled web of vested interests. The power of the ruling class was inextricably linked to divine authority; governments relied on the mandates of the Church to maintain their absolute rule.
Eradicating the Gods would be equivalent to destroying their own empires. No leader was foolish enough to attempt that. Thus, even if a few elite politicians privately doubted the divine, they had no intention of sparking a revolution. Society continued its usual routine.
Furthermore, the general population was thoroughly indoctrinated. The existence of the Gods was an undeniable, fundamental truth of nature. If a president were to publicly declare himself an atheist, he would face dozens of assassination attempts by the following morning. Fanatics were simply that dangerous.
