intermittent fasting, sleeping in hyperbaric chambers and living off Popsicles.
Also, it’s not enough to tell your followers that nonbelievers are bad. You
must demonize them. They are the downfall of everything that is good and
holy. They ruin everything. They are fucking evil.
You must then convince your followers that it is of the utmost importance
that everyone who does not get “it” be stopped, no matter what. People are
either near the top of the value hierarchy or at the bottom; there are no in-
betweeners in our religion.^36
The more fear, the better. Lie a little bit if you have to—remember, people
instinctually want to feel as though they’re fighting a crusade, to believe that
they are the holy warriors of justice and truth and salvation. So, say whatever
you need to say. Get them to feel that self-righteousness to keep the religion
going.
This is where conspiracy theories come in handy. It’s not just that
vaccines cause autism; it’s that the medical and pharmaceutical industries are
getting rich by destroying everyone’s families. It’s not just that pro-choicers
have a different view on the biological status of a fetus; it’s that they’re
soldiers sent by Satan to destroy good Christian families. It’s not just that
climate change is a hoax; it’s that it’s a hoax created by the Chinese
government to slow the U.S. economy and take over the world.^37