Breaking: People use religion for vain, dumb, selfish ends

Long before I deconstructed my Evangelical Christianity, I remember getting mad about the (always male) leaders of my Southern Baptist churches bragging about “never taking a sip of alcohol” and other non-accomplishments.

Who the fuck is helped by you not drinking? I thought. Assuming you can’t drink responsibly is a very weird flex. Though thanks for not making your drinking a problem for other people, I guess. Do you want a cookie?

I’m increasingly coming to believe the answer to most theological questions is “power.”