You’re not wrong that some religious figures have green lit abhorrent acts. And then there’s MLK, Bonhoffer, and hordes of others trying to lead humanity in the right direction.
in my view, religious figures are just one of many authorities to whom people abdicate their personal duty for rational thought and decency. You can substitute Trump, or Tucker Carlson for that matter. The problem is not religion per se- that’s just the means for control that holds sway for many in our history. The problem is humanity’s innate willingness, even desire, to do terrible things and abdicate personal responsibility for their choices while kneeling at the altar, be it Jeebus’ or a secular one.
Remove religion tomorrow and you still have that chronic human malignancy. It seems to find a way to express itself because it seeks out those willing to lead humans to terrible things, of which there are many.