Any law can be corrupted, and each individual has needs that cannot be addressed under laws covering multitudes. Religion closes those gaps. Government must ensure the stability of the social order in the face of predation. Religion must create community that erodes predatory impulses. When religion succeeds at its work, government fades into the background. When religion fails its work, government grows in importance.

So a religion or religious leader has lost their way when exhorting the government to coerce people to abide by religious precepts. That is to authorize, rather than erode, predatory behavior.

A political leader can turn to religion for inspiration, but the final formulation of law must be in secular terms. Otherwise arguments of state are brought necessarily into religious forums, undermining their amity.