These people should not be punished, because by any really rational test, they're insane, and insanity is a defense to crime. Perhaps they should be shut up in a funny farm, but not as punishment, just to protect others from them.

But we can't allow the concept that devout religious belief constitutes insanity, because that would be disrespectful of the religious beliefs of others.

So they get punished because they have a form of insanity that's more institutionalized than that of some other people. Strange.

Peter.