One of the most harmful characteristics of high-demand religions and cults is that they become people’s perceived identities.

Which often means people’s perceived identities become dependent on defending the indefensible—because to fail to do so is a kind of death.

I have empathy for Mormon apologists because I know how terrifying it is to be confronted with the potential loss of your perceived identity. Their arguments can be absurd and intellectually dishonest but underneath them is scared human beings wanting to survive, like all of us.

We are wired to protect our deeply held beliefs at all costs, and apologists of religions like Mormonism show us how far the human mind is willing to go to do that.

When we have no real sense of self outside of a high-demand group, we will go to great lengths to protect it.

It’s not surprising that apologists are often quite aggressive—aggression is usually a sign that someone feels vulnerable. And what’s more vulnerable than feeling like your entire perceived sense of self is up for debate?