The self is only empowered by itself, which really isn't empowerment at all. The self is, in fact, an artifact of thought.

I would hardly call belief in God magical thinking, especially because there is wide variance in how people believe in God and what they believe it is. It seems to me that this belief is based upon a deep-set fear, insecurity and and impending death. No doubt, God is an invention of man; if nothing else, history shows this to be so. But the delusion that creates and perpetuates God is only on expression of the self's fear. Atheism is another such expression of fear in perhaps most cases.