#um....

and the ladies there are weary of him at first, but once he explains he came to church on his own because he wanted to see what it was about, they're all too eager to explain it all to him

they feed him and they say they always give out food after "service", and they smile at him and so he comes back

they give him things over the years, a travel sized bible, a rosary, a saint or a trinity stamp for his wallet, a gold chain with a gold cross (that he never takes off), a whole bunch of superstitions and a bumper sticker that says "Hey Teens! Self Control Beats Birth Control"

they can't inspire devotion in him, it's too late for that. but they can instill the fear of God in him (he's too ready to judge himself) and they can teach him how to be charming.

So, he doesn't quite buy into the whole thing, but the charm stays, the aversion to sex is too easy to justify this way, and the superstitions are just as easy to pick up for his obsessive nature.

He doesn't pray, but he carries the bible in the trunk of his car. The stamp and the bumper sticker stay. He clings to the rosary when he can't sleep. The chain hovers over Randy when they fuck.

He doesn't really believe in God, but he spent years pretending to, to get a plate of food. So, when Benson finally finds someone that blinds him, he knows to live and kill for Him. Knows exactly how to leave everything behind for Him, how to devote his entire life to Him.