Catholic masses are extremely cult-like. There’s a choreographed stand/sit/kneel dance, “everybody please give us money” phase, plus a part where everyone lines up to eat their unappetizing snack.
And they speed kids through the initiation process so that they are “committed” before high school, when they might start thinking for themselves.
I don’t understand how anyone can look at that religion and not immediately see that it’s mostly a power grab dressed up as a salvation from inherited sins that were made up in the first place. And then later, it’s, “Hey yeah, you’ll get into heaven, just tell us all the dirt on you!”
As someone with heavy exposure to the evangelical protestant side of things, I have to respect the up-frontness, at least. They have canon law, which can’t be re-interpreted on the whim of whatever local priest to suit politics, the churches don’t pretend to be rec centers (or even malls in the 'states), and the priests dress like priests instead of like politicians or car salesmen.
The vagaries of Protestantism allow for a lot of weasel wording and charismatic personalities taking advantage of people - especially really poor people. The Catholic Church hierarchy has 1500 years of well-documented corruption, but I don’t think they have people today running ads promising that every donation towards Pastor McSlimy’s private jet will produce a large financial return through magical means, with staged testimonies suggesting people should forgo essential medical care to donate.
The “grass is always greener on the other side”, though.
