Gabriella,
"There are plenty of religious people who are no more and no less misogynistic or homophobic than atheists...
But isn't the point that, first, when those people think a "holy" text mandates those behaviours they have one
more reason than atheists to behave that way and, second, when they're convinced that "faith" is an inerrant means of validating truths there's no possibility of persuading them otherwise? Does anyone think that Justin Welby wouldn't be in such an intractable mess about equal marriage if not for his religious beliefs for example?
...so clearly there are religious people who are able to think for themselves...
Clearly, though again how would that be compatible with the status of "faith" when they're thinking about religious matters specifically? Doesn't faith remove (or at least significantly reduce) the ability to think for yourself when it's faith that underpins the validity of the belief?
...and interpret their scriptures in a way that is compatible with cultural changes."
But then what's the point of "scripture" rather than, say, an early and crude attempt at moral philosophy? If scripture is supposed to be the revealed thoughts of a necessarily correct god, what use is it if you can just re-interpret it as societal norms change?