In my mind, a religion is responsible for teachings its followers how to act. When people of a religious bent abuse others, and are chastised for it by the leadership, a religion is doing its job. But when the church does not chastize or curb the abuses, I feel that religion should lose societal privilege -- such as tax exempt status.

Religions often begin with individuals claiming divine inspiration for their lives &/or their writings. When those individuals die, power begins to accumulate into the hands of people more interested in power than sanctity. At some point in the evolution of a church, the church must curb its own people, or the church must be curbed by society -- else the sham corrupt racket calling itself a religion destroys all of society.