@mattsheffield@mastodon.social I suspect that part of it is an (un)conscious awareness/expectation that religious beliefs (especially popular or dominant) are treated as special, both legally and morally, that affords someone arguing on religious grounds greater leniency than on personal beliefs. A defense mechanism. And it allows users to drag debates onto firmer territory by conflating their discriminatory beliefs with the religion/sect in general, when clashing with “fellow” believers.