When I first saw that religious Hot Deals are being temporarily banned, my thought was--good, I never read those posts anyway. Then I began reading the responses, and I feel differently than my initial reaction.
I applaud the mods for soliciting comments from the community. By assessing the comments, hopefully, the community will be better served.
Although I don't have an interest in religious Hot Deals, I agree with those who argue that the thread crappers win by getting the topic banned, and I think that is unfair. My general feeling in all threads, is that if you don't have something constructive to add, then keep quiet. I respect differences of opinion, and some comments are funny, but some comments are made just to inflame.
I also agree with those who point out that a free Bible is not a Hot deal. Since it is easy to find sources for a free Bible, we have to wonder what is the motivation behind the post. There are existing rules that would support the idea that the thread be locked or the member (after being warned) be banned.
Since referral links and posts for self-gain are not allowed in Hot Deals, if someone is posting a religious Hot Deal for the purpose of evangelizing a religious cause, then that should not be allowed. However, there can be legitimate deals available for people who purchase religious items, like books, music, jewelry or holiday items.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer here. The mods have the tools at their disposal to remove those who abuse the rules, whatever side of the fence they may be on.