I think he and Mom kept better company with people from the church than their former drinking buddies.

Definitely — that one cannot be argued (well, it can, but let’s not go there). The only problem I have with it is that although the congregation may be peaceful and all, it’s like sending kids to a safer school that however teaches them that earth is flat, evolution is bogus, Jesus was the sole son of God and was physically resurrected, God is a separate entity, and gays should burn in hell. I know those are extremes, but not that uncommon. I wonder if the calm, loving atmosphere (if it’s even present) is really worth all the misinterpreted knowledge, brainwashing, and dogma. In the end, it shows in the attitude of every member of the congregation. And that attitude then translates into real actions with real consequences.