> The people that attend churches are the most egotistical, delusional, and vapid people you'll meet.

I'm not a believer myself, but having worked with those people over many years I can tell you that's a pretty shallow view. The people I worked with where all honest, hardworking individuals who really tried to live their values.

Have you actually participated in a church community? If so, have you participated in more than one? What you're describing does not match my experience at any of the churches I've belonged to. At all.

Certain churches are definitely filled with very judgemental people and full of cliques.

Yes, but that happens everywhere. It's very easy for us to point fingers at a group labeled as "good" and point out their flaws, when in fact these flaws exist everywhere.

Much easier to call out a group that is "good" that they are "bad", when in fact the "bad-ness" gets spread equally around people whether or not they are in this "good" community.

The 'badness' in people is supposed to be tempered or mitigated by these 'good communities' though. That's their whole point.

If they can't even manage to better people as part of their church than the average person is then what good is it other than creating cliques and an 'us versus them' mentality?

A church, or other "good community" doesn't make people better, this is an individual's decision. Of course, it attempts to make good in the world, but the people inside this community make the decision to be good or bad on their own.

I say this to protect churches and other good communities.

> A church, or other "good community" doesn't make people better, this is an individual's decision.

but the churches we are talking about are religious organisations that claim a monopoly on morality.

The whole (claimed) point of their existence is to preach, convert and forge people into better, more virtuous versions of themselves.

If it is failing even in that one simple premise, then what good is it?

Again, they can preach all they want and try to convert, but it's up to the individual. We can tell all the people we want to be good people, but its ultimately their decision.

So, to that end, let's ask ourselves - why don't we find churches interesting? Are they boring, are they full of ceremony? What's the point, we might ask? Do we have other "better" things to do? Do we not trust they are authority on morals, or do we not care about becoming more virtuous?

Conversely, high school was a great time for some people as they had friends and support, while it was the worst time of other peoples lives. There are many people who were forced out of churches or treated poorly and will never go back.

Sadly, I know some churches that are indeed like that. Fortunately, the vast majority I know are nowhere near. Please don't lump them all together.