I am not a frequent reader of the magazine Maxim, but it did carry a rather humorous article on how to "score in church." While the article is quite crude in its advice and I would not encourage anyone to try "this at home," or at church for that matter, it is an interesting look at how a different worldview sees Christianity and the American church scene. The excellent Indiana-based blog In the Agora first tipped me off to the article, with writer David Darlington stating that the article was "creepy and funny at the same time." I agree on both accounts:

1. Find Your Faith Macking in a holy place is easier than almost anywhere else -- the good girls never see it coming. Plus, "every girl wants to tell her father she met her boyfriend at church and not at a bar," says God-fearing cutie Erin Howard, 25. Look for progressive sanctuaries that offer "contemporary" services (to attract a younger, hipper crowd) and coffee hours (so you can actually talk, as opposed to just ogling from afar).

2. Enter the Kingdom Scope out the finest churchgoer, then snag the pew in front of her. You won't appear too eager, yet you can make eye contact easily -- and shake her hand if there's a "sharing of the peace." Avoid making moves mid-service. "You're in a place of bloody worship; you have to be respectful," notes Tracey Cox, author of Superdate. Instead, listen to the sermon, which'll give you plenty to talk about later.

3. Get Religion Despite the communion wine, forget your sloppy bar tactics. After the service, just introduce yourself and act genuinely curious about the church. Say, "I'm new here. Are you a regular?" This'll transition to the coffee hour, where you can quiz her about the service and how she ended up there. If all else fails, say something about looking for a higher meaning in life. She may make it her goal to "convert" you.

4. Reach the Promised Land At this point patience is key. "A lot of repressed religious girls are damn hot in bed," notes Cox. "But you're not getting a quick shag here." Provided she's sending positive signals (e.g., laughing, smiling, not making the sign of the cross), simply tell her you'd love to meet up, outside of church, and ask for her digits. And no matter where it goes from there, try to think like the Browns do: There's always next Sunday!

If you attend a church that is largely made up of singles like mine is, reading this article can be quite a downer on first thought. The likely motivations of many of the young people attending church these days is probably not the most pure.

But then deeper thoughts hit me and I realize that the premise of this article -- attending church in an attempt to "score" as if one is at a bar or a nightclub -- is quite ridiculous. That said, this is Maxim and it's not exactly known for great insights on how to live life. People have been attending religious services for the purpose of finding their life partner for centuries (see here for how the Mormons handle their single population).

Females, last time I checked, do not attend church with any notion of being "scored" on, and those females foolish enough to fall for even the smoothest of the smooth, well, I don't know what to say. Sure there is a darker side of the church singles scene, in that some people do attend church with the primary motivation being the opportunity to meet singles of the opposite sex, but Maxim has not caught up on anything earth-shattering or even legitimate.