To underscore Tom's efforts to show himself as an elevated, religious human being in order to escape his apparent fate, the narrator refers to him as a "violent churchgoer." This is done to suggest that although Tom may not have committed any crimes while alive, he is still capable of violence after death due to his intense religiosity. Tom appears to be a devout Catholic in the novel. He attends Mass every Sunday and frequently visits churches with candles and icons throughout the story. It is suggested that this is what saves him from becoming one of Satan's servants. However, there are also times where it is revealed that he has been drinking and smoking cigarettes. So, although he may go to church regularly, he seems to lack faith at other times. In addition to this, it can be said that Tom is very aggressive when it comes to his beliefs. For example, when Mr. Jennings asks him if he believes in heaven and hell, he responds by saying that he doesn't care about either one. This implies that he doesn't believe in eternal life after death. Instead, he only cares about this present moment and what will happen to him after he dies. Furthermore, Tom shows no remorse for killing people.