As others have mentioned, cruelty is often the point with these religious fundies when it comes to imposing their will via the law: punish the slut, punish the “undeserving”, punish those who dare to be content and happy in their lives on Earth, etc. – even if it means punishing oneself in the process. All in the name of a supposedly loving Invisible Bearded Sky Man™ (obligatory link to George Carlin set).
Many of us know (or in some cases are) that person whose stern authoritarian father “did a number” on them to the point where they’re in constant therapy. If American society was that person, then Calvinism would be his father (pre-Vatican 2 Catholicism would be the enabling mother).
While I understand why some people take comfort in the bad they know, it would be nice if American society as a whole could get beyond this self-sabotaging superstitious nonsense, or at least try harder to contain it with the Establishment Clause.
