But its just letters and numbers, at the end of the day.

Maybe, but a lot of people practice Kabbalah and in that believe God created the world by merging the number with the letter with word. When you believe that numbers carry a certain vibration that promises you enlightening through rituals including numbers, stars, names, colors, symbols, sex magick and much much more, you go as far as to give your life to that. Or that of others.