Some people have, let’s say, idiosyncratic understandings of the Bible. They may sincerely but afactually believe any number of things. Like a lot of people think Paradise Lost or Dante’s Inferno are canon christian texts, not just fan fiction. But the point remains they may sincerely believe some things are coming from an omnipotent force. If God says don’t wear a skirt , who are you to argue? That’s probably the most common answer for this stuff that’s not grift.

Some people are just using these hot takes to grift.

Some people are damaged and hurt. Channeling that through the Bible as they read it is easier than coming to grips with, like , abusive upbringing , or being a little queer, or having doubts. Cognitive dissonance is a hell of a drug.

Related, it firms up (no gay pun intended) in group solidarity. They don’t care about the other stuff as much, Like the bit about mixed materials, or having a certain kind of roof, or paying for your neighbors health care. That all sounds hard. Hating an out group makes people feel closer to their in group. The reasons given are post hoc justifications. The actual reason, for some people, is the comfort and high of being part of a strong group.