> To veer a little off track, I used to be a huge fan of Richard Dawkins back in college until I realized his approach just creates friction and polarization. The opposite of what he crusades for.

That's exactly what he crusades for; he’s not anti-friction or anti-polarization (on religion or any of his other pet issues), he's a zealous bigot.

> The astrophysicists have a way better approach than the biologists. It's non-confrontational.

There are plenty of non-confrontational biologists. Dawkins doesn't represent “biologists” he represents Dawkins.

Yeah I don't think on HN I'm actually talking to very many people who would for example, not believe that species evolved via natural selection, that there was global flood that killed everyone except one family, that the earth is 6000 years old, that all the inhabitants of the new world before 1492 were sent to hell by a Mesopotamian sky-god, or that gay men and disobedient children should be stoned to death. No, I think I'm preaching to the choir here, to borrow a phrase, and I don't engage in this kind of debate anyway because it isn't worth my time.

Specifically I'm saying going to church for community is a terrible, dangerous idea. That even if you don't believe in what they're saying, that it is like going to a Neo-Nazi meetup for the pancakes. Even if they're like really, really good pancakes and you can't find pancakes anywhere else as good and these particular Nazis are not too serious about the whole Nazi thing, you may find yourself getting involved with more than you expected and find that leaving or even admitting you want to is more difficult that you expected.

This is not innocuous; there are many, many religious groups out there deliberately and strategically targeting people like the OP, and train their members to do the same. This is the primary way that cults recruit people who aren't indoctrinated as children.

You're right and wrong. It can be culty or not. It's buyer beware and requires due diligence.

I suggested this and my relationship with the church is openly agnostic. I have no qualms about discussing my opinions of religion as it relates to my belief. I don't feel the need to bend to their world view, change my beliefs, etc.

Regarding the people that get sucked into those types of churches. The ones you say they're actively recruiting (I would not disagree). But, this may be controversial, but I believe those folks typically have some void in their life to begin with. They're going to fill that void with something eventually and probably at an unhealthy dosage. It might be drugs, religion, politics, sex, abusive relationship, etc. They may not realize it, but they have a desire to be in a "cult". So, I don't fully believe the cult is to blame. There simply is a market for cults and demand will get met.

I think especially for our HN audience here, it's more about not falling into that trap. Doing your due diligence. Stay true to yourself and avoid any of this BS cult stuff you bring up as a valid concern. Honestly it sounds like you just live in a very racist part of the country where the KKK's never disappeared they just moved the meetings to church. That or you're very much indoctrinated in the bad parts of religion while ignoring the healthy parts.