Bill Mouser with a fine post on religious madhouses. He explains:

Now, what’s wonderful about religious madhouses is this: they usually appear utterly normal. All the psychic (or, theological) horrors are well hidden behind the visible veneer of civility, piety, and bible-babble. Stained glass, well-polished and padded pews, tasteful colors and the soft rustle of choir robes or clerical vestments render it all so … well, staid.

Yes, the gentle slopes, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings. It’s all quite familiar to those of us who’ve spent many Sundays in mainline church pews.