Step-by-step explanation:
In the story "By the Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benét, John's forefathers were driven to protect people from the truth and create a lie due to the catastrophic events that had occurred in the past. The world had been destroyed by a great war, leaving the land filled with radioactive materials and deadly ruins. The surviving humans, known as the "People of the Hills," were forced to abandon their cities and technology and revert to a simpler way of life.
However, in the aftermath of the war, the survivors discovered that there were still remnants of the old world scattered throughout the land, including books and other artifacts that contained knowledge of the past. Recognizing the potential danger of this knowledge, John's forefathers created a religion to protect the people from the truth and prevent them from repeating the mistakes of the past.
The religion was built around a lie that the gods had destroyed the world in a fit of anger, and that the forbidden places were cursed and filled with evil spirits. By creating this mythology, John's forefathers were able to prevent people from exploring the ruins and discovering the truth about the past.
Thus, the driving force behind John's forefathers' actions was fear. They feared that if people were exposed to the truth, they would become curious and attempt to explore the forbidden places, potentially unleashing a new cycle of destruction. By creating a lie and building a religion around it, they were able to maintain control over the people and prevent them from endangering themselves and others.