Sequentially… that is the basic rule of logic, i.e. one premise must follow from the previous to the conclusion, otherwise it is non-sequitor.
There is no absolute determination, but from the beginning of evolution to the present, all events are deterministic, thus sequential.
You need to update your knowledge on the neural circuits of primal fear and emotional fear, plus the amydala short-circuit that ranged from the subconscious and conscious.
What is critical here is the conscious fear of death is heavily suppressed.
On the point of agencity.
Note this apply to those earlier group of theists who founded the concept of god as an agent [driven by agenticity] and invented holy books to establish God as the ultimate agent.
Those theists [then and now] who later cling to a God do not rely on their pattern recognition and agenticity in relation to theism.
These theists merely cling to what is presented them with a promise of eternal life which is directly driven by the subconscious-fear-of-death responses based on faith, not by agencity.
Their agenticity may drive them to see the image of Jesus in a sandwich, surface of the moon, but not of God.
The idea of the ontological God is not based on agenticity but by solely from crude reasoning.
Re humans not having instincts, the section of the link which discusses this is “history”. It won’t take you long to read the whole article though.
Do you agree, it is certain [scientific wise] human do not have instincts?
It would be crazy if you do.
At most, that is only valid from a different perspective.