What attracts serial killers to church?

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

...
But the kid is smart and figured out that if he screws up on Monday, the rest of the week is irrelevant, so he stops trying as soon as he gets one "red day."

Many bad people on this planet think they've already got their red day and are beyond redemption. The only chance of getting them to even try being good is to convince them they can start over at any time.
...

I guess I keep making the mistake of perceptively framing the system as if it was intended to benefit thinking, reasoning adults--I forget how stupid and childish many people are and/or I don't want to assume this, and/or that this is the only thing which makes sense of the system.

I do this because I'm trying to counteract my known selection bias towards religion--infomred by my personal experiences, i.e. the religious people I have known have been stupid, childish, or former drug addicts who require an external force to control them, or manipulative sociopaths who seek a convenient forum for preying on the weak.



However, when confronted by churchgoers who do not fit these categories, I am mystified. In this way: I wish to ask, is there a meta-system within the main system (designed for childish idiots, as described above)--do the intelligent members of the church do a lot of winking and nodding while the rest of the drooling zombies nod and agree with whatever the guy with the loudest megaphone is saying?

I don't ask this from a place of complete naivete. I've spent many hours in church services and Bible studies, as a result of my playing in church bands. I've taken a lot of notes, and been fascinated with this for a long time.

I've just never been able to start an intelligent conversation with any of the people at any of the churches I've been to. It's basically impossible to converse with someone who has pre-defined areas which are not okay to talk about, and pre-defined opinions which are not okay to even entertain.



Maybe, Clodfobble, you can explain this to me? How can intelligent people stomach religion?

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Flint

How can intelligent people stomach religion?

One word, and you won't like it:

Faith.

[JBKlyde]

I dunno sometimes words have double meanings.. I m building a stairway to heaven.. I really don't have time for all the nonsense that goes on inside the "four" walls of the confounded church.. gossip is stupid I don't even do it with my family.. If every one were like Vanilla Ice the world would be much better place... aka :quick to the point to the point NO FAKING; unfortunately fake people are drawn to church because it gives them a shield of illusion to the out side world and once that illusion is uncovered that's how God weeds them out.. the people who truly Love God keep going, the potential psychos never return.

[Pico and ME]

Faith is only a learned behavior...taught to you when you were young. You were born an atheist.

Faith, spirituality, religion...brainwashing.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

You were born an atheist.

Maybe you were. I was most definitely not born an Atheist.

Now I'm done.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Flint

How can intelligent people stomach religion?

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

One word, and you won't like it:

Faith.

Faith just means believing something without evidence, which brings you back to Flint's original question.

My answer would be that "intelligent people" doesn't have a concrete meaning; conspiracy theories can be incredibly detailed, and exhibit high intelligence and ingenuity. But the conspiracy theorist has started with the conclusion and worked backwards to mesh all new information into that conclusion.