Timothy Egan gets a lot right in this NYT piece:

Why People Hate Religion

So, yes, people hate religion when the loudest proponents of religion are shown to be mercenaries for a leader who debases everything he touches. And yes, young people are leaving the pews in droves because too often the person facing them in those pews is a fraud.

They hate religion because, at a moment to stand up and be counted on the right side of history, religion is used as moral cover for despicable behavior.

The good sister sees “the presence of God” in the migrant children in her shelter.  I understand that, but after my own years of looking for “Jesus in the poor,” I now view that as potentially de-humanizing and over-spiritualizing social service.

Yet, compared to what we see and hear from the self-righteous sectarians, her motives and commitment deserve admiration.  She seems to be doing The Good Work that needs to be done, with compassion and humility.