[ben_w]

They do appear in some cases. The tiny angel on one shoulder to balance the demon on the other. The people who think God is talking to them directly* don't always lead a cult or hunt down heretics. But news stories focus on the darkness.

* I've met exactly one person, C, who admitted to this; C retold to me that other people from C's church give them strange looks when talking about it with them, this did not lead to any apparent introspection on the part of C.

[andai]

Well, talking to the guy directly defeats the whole point of the institution which is supposed to stand in the way, so actual religious experience is a faux pas.