Honestly that is tough to speculate on. I would tend think that it would be more do to with culture and social conformation, but illiteracy could also be a contributing factor. At the same time, I know there are some highly educated people who still believe the bible to be literally, so literacy can't be the only factor.
My post was to point out that having majority support on something doesn't necessarily add legitimacy to it or in any way make it more correct/true.