Indeed, this might be why religion seems so odd to outsiders.

It's implausible, yet that's what stimulates the tribal feelings among the believers.

Those are the simple cows to be milked, but numerous 'gurus' in these communities are very well aware of the bullshit they propagate to the weak and gullible, but its just such an easy noncritical prey. You can always just go deeper in paranoia.

Makes me think that mr trump switched from being democrat to republican and pushed for magaesque folks who often love him to the death due to very similar principle - just spit out some populist crap that stirs core emotions - the worse the better, make them feel victim, find easy target to blame which can't defend themselves well (immigrants), add some conspiracy (of which he is actually part of as wall street billionaire).

Extreme left wouldn't swallow easily that ridiculous mix from nepotic billionaire who managed to bankrupt casinos and avoided military duty (on top of some proper hebephilia with his close friend mr E and who knows what else).

But what do I know, just an outside observer, but nobody around the world has umbrella thick enough that this crap doesn't eventually fall on them too.