Discussion
In my experience religious individuals can sometimes exhibit greater cruelty and meanness as they may perceive themselves as morally superior, finding sanction for their harsh actions within the framework of their religious beliefs.
I have experienced similar situations from people who are close to me, they are all wannabe authoritarians using their religion as pretext
That has been my experience as well. I don't typically criticize religion openly in my social circles because that would be a very dangerous thing to do. However, I do openly criticize the government. It's always the people I consider to be religious narcissists who take offense because subconsciously, they realize that my critique toward the government also applies to their religion. Both are essentially the same thing, mechanisms of control.