The thing is, though, that religion is politics. Much as it is the state that allows the police to murder Black civilians at disproportionate rates, so too is it the state that allows torture under the guise of gay conversion therapy. Our politics inform us as to whether we should have faith in various institutions, be it the police, the church, or whatever else.

In the case of the atrocity you have highlighted, religion and faith in ancient dogma are convenient scapegoats, but our corrupt state and the supposed rule of law under which we live are what allow it to happen. People such as Sam Harris like to make it out like religion is to blame, but it is our shitty politics that allow immoral policy to be formulated. Sometimes it stems from religion, but sometimes it takes the form of scientific racism, misogynistic philosophy, jingoism, capitalist media fear mongering, or arbitrary legal doctrine culled from the minds of madmen.