You may have read something in the news yesterday about a British man, 36-year-old Reynhard Sinaga, who is being called “the most prolific rapist in British legal history” and just got sentenced to life in prison.

Sinaga would reportedly pick up other (often-drunk) men at bars, bring them back to his place, drug them, then assault them. Many of his victims were unconscious during the act. He videotaped the assaults of at least 195 different men. It’s just horrific stuff.

When he was sentenced, Judge Suzanne Goddard acknowledged that there may even be more victims we don’t know about and that Sinaga is an “evil serial sexual predator.”

Not everyone was convinced of his guilt, though. The church he attended in Manchester — he attended church! — sent a letter to the judge basically saying he was a good guy.

Goddard didn’t buy it, thankfully, but look at what she said during his sentencing:

“It’s almost beyond belief that someone who could profess some Christian faith could at the same time have been committing such wicked and evil crimes.”

… Is it really beyond belief?

I know what she meant, but I don’t know why she thinks that. Religious people do evil things all the time. Often, they’re driven by their faith to be irrationally cruel. It’s not just terrorists, either, but neighborly believers who sincerely believe Jews and atheists and Muslims will deservedly spend eternity burning in Hell.

Faith isn’t a virtue. Religion doesn’t make you good. It certainly doesn’t prevent you from being evil. Just look to the White House if you need more evidence of that. The fact that Sinaga attended church at all shows how great a disconnect there can be between what someone says in a holy place and what someone does outside of it.

If this guy “finds God” (again?) in prison, no one should think he’s a changed man either. It’s amazing how easy it is to dupe people by telling them you’re a religious person. At this point, it should really set off alarm bells, or at least some healthy skepticism.

(Thanks to David for the link)

