Joe, attaching one's more despicable convictions to one's religion is a time-honoured way of "legitimising" them. As you imply, it's what religious fundamentalists commonly do. In fact, the practice almost defines them. We should be more alert to that. It's a pity, for example, that the Church failed to distance itself from Mussolini, Franco and Hitler, who were all more than happy to have the Church's convenient acquiescence. Franco was happy to be seen receiving Communion every day, for example, at the height of his nastiness, and I don't recall reading of much discomfiture at this within the Church.