I don't think we have to sympathize with someone else's beliefs, particularly if it is clear that facts and truths contradict them. It actually would not make a lot of sense to do that because then we are encouraging those beliefs. This country was founded on the principal that people are welcome to practice their religions, which clearly are a belief system. Not to force their religions on others, to practice them, in private, amongst their congregation, however they so choose as long as they are not violating laws nor hurting anybody. 

So, no human sacrifices and no physical abuse if you start that shit, well, there is a nice cozy jail cell waiting for you. No stoning (with rocks) your women, nor mutilating them in any way. And as far as I'm concerned, no animal sacrifices either. No flogging your children nor locking them in some underground dirt hole for a month. 

I actually think it is true that part of the appeal of guys like Trump and DeSantis is their open attempts at cruelty toward other human beings they want to abuse as political victims. DeSantis disqualified himself from being part of government the second he started kidnapping people in Texas and flying them to other states to drop them off and abandon them. Now he is trying to show he'd also enjoy openly abusing people whose sexual preference he does not like. The guy has proven he is scum, he is not qualified to be in government of any kind. 

The thing is, he knows some people, mainly Christians, agree with and want to see abuse. That's a problem and he is appealing to their belief system. Cruelty seems to be a belief that MAGA voters share and want to see in action. That's not a belief that should be indulged. 

What is weird here, is our media, mainstream media, attempts to indulge this to a degree because he is a candidate for president. They indulge Trump, even though he is a moron, because he is running for president. It's a weird game of chicken where they are sort of daring people to swerve away from these nuts but not really saying how F-ing crazy they are. 

If you indulge it, it will continue.