Absolutely. I remember sitting there, thinking, "it's all the same little routine." Play on common vulnerability and offer a path to relief... in a comfortable setting. It makes me think that skeptics and the critically self-aware should just have a lot more pot lucks and run all these jokers out of town!
I know this guy named Mindwolf that does just that! Any chance you are in Michigan? He is the founder of Michigan Skeptics. From what I've gathered it's sort of like a pot-luck with an emphasis on beer and great conversation. It's not just religion though, it's the majority of marketing. -Think insurance sales or even main stream media. "Tonight at 11, are crayons secretly killing your baby"? -Scare and then reassure. Okay, now I'm getting mad ;-)
Using language and aesthetics to manipulate human drives seems like dirty play, IMO, yet it's so pervasive. Beware, the monolith of influence! And sadly, I'm not even close to Michigan. I'm actually moving back to TX soon, and luckily, there is a skeptics group I left there a few years ago, that was getting into a good groove of libation and discourse! I can't wait to see how it has grown!
Cool, it sounds like you have a good plan. I tried to join a skeptics group here in NC but I only found an atheist group and that's just a step further than I'd like to go. Good luck with the move!