Cognitive dissonance. I feel like, at a certain age, most religious people are just unable to change their minds. It is incredible that the leader of their own religion is trying to teach them something, and they are deluded into thinking their "interpretation" (which isn't theirs at all, but was force fed to them) is the correct one.

It wasn't that long ago that the whole damn religious ceremony was performed in Latin. That way, no normal person had a chance of understanding what was going on. And they were entirely dependent on the priests and the pope's word. Back then, doubting the pope had consequences. Not that those were better times. It is just crazy to see how much this religion has changed.