Why does mill call utilitarianism a "more profoundly religious [doctrine] than any other"?

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that was born in the eighteenth century and whose creator is called Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism seeks the greatest good, for the greatest number of people, that is, seeks happiness for all people.

John Stuart Mill, adept to this doctrine, argued that the human being is in a constant search to achieve the greatest pleasure. Mill placed spiritual and intellectual happiness in the first place and, in the background, bodily pleasure.

He argues that “utilitarianism is more profoundly religious [doctrine] than any other” because this doctrine is aimed at seeking the greatest happiness not only of one's own but also of one's neighbor. The pleasure and suffering that is related to God's love and punishment appears in this search for happiness. If he performs good deeds, he will be rewarded, but if he does bad deeds, he will be punished.

in the 1800s, chinese workers migrated to the united states, first to work in the gold mines, but also to take agricultural jobs, and factory work, especially in the garment industry. chinese immigrants were particularly instrumental in building railroads in the american west, and as chinese laborers grew successful in the united states, a number of them became entrepreneurs in their own right. as the numbers of chinese laborers increased, so did the strength of anti-chinese sentiment among other workers in the american economy. this finally resulted in legislation that aimed to limit future immigration of chinese workers to the united states, and threatened to sour diplomatic relations between the united states and china.

roosevelt essentially took the opposite approach as hoover in taking on the great depression. herbert hoover thought that america and its economy could naturally recover from the depression in due course, so he adamantly restrained the federal government from intervening on behalf of the people affected. on the other hand, roosevelt dramatically increased employment by expanding the federal government and establishing agencies that would aid in relieving some of the country's worst problems.