talking in tongues

It can be difficult to convince a secular person that religious fundamentalism is attractive to many people, here and abroad.  That it is the kind of religion they like and choose.  That hardly makes it good or true - but for some reason many secular folks want more.  They want to believe that religious fundamentalism is not only wrong and harmful, but unattractive.  This despite the fact that in other aspects of life - diet, excercise, fashion, what-have you - the same phenomenon exists in more trivial forms: a significant number of us will be attracted to things that are strenuous, demanding, alienating and - in their implications - both judgmental and potentially transformative.  Cross-Fit, vegans, goths, gamers.  And in the absence of liberal education or similarly special conditions, this will rarely express itself in the mode of liberal spirituality.