5 Reasons Why I Needed a No Soliciting Sign for Hospital Clergy

4: Saving My Life by Saving My Soul?

Why would the Prevaricating Preacher behave this way? After all, wasn’t his mission to help the afflicted, not afflict the affected? Well, my theory is that PP felt God was commanding him to do what he wanted to do in the first place. No surprise there.

When my relatively well-behaved cat jumps on the kitchen counter, even though he knows he’s not allowed, Taran’s little feline brain requires no self-justification. His philosophy, such as it is, amounts to, I see birds, therefore I jump. It takes a highly evolved brain for people to convince themselves that doing wrong is actually right.

But only religion can make people believe that, by doing what they desire, they’re actually on a mission from God.

Read more: A Little Birdy Told Me to Do It.