Comment by pstuart

Yes, and that's always been vexing to me. I think the reason is like a combination of brainwashing (indoctrination if you must insist), and the fact that Church does offer comforts that most humans need: a feeling of belonging, a meaning to life (handwavey but real), and the perception of being loved.

I'd join the Church in a heartbeat to get those things if I thought the foundational concepts were real.