SoC brainrot
An interesting parallel between Inej & Matthias's characters is reflected through their individual experiences with religion; Leigh does a marvelous job in depicting the effects of religion on society by showing us the different ways it can impact people. (Both positive & negative).
For Inej, religion has always been a personal choice & the emotional support crutch she leaned on during her dark days as a victim of sex trafficking at Heleen's Menagerie.
However, in Matthias's case, religion was used as tool of manipulation by his bigoted father figure, Brum, who abused his position of authority to enable Matthias, a wounded orphan, (as well as countless other innocent boys) to act in an irrational, prejudiced & deeply harmful manner that resulted in the persecution of millions.
On the other hand for Inej, religion was empowerment; something that had strengthend her mind & nourished her soul but for Matthias it became a dogma he had to free himself from in order to kick-start his redemption arc, as in his case religion, or rather, a twisted version of it was what had tarnished his mind & corrupted his soul.
And this is honestly such a frank, healthy & nuanced way of portraying the complex reality of religion instead of swinging between the extremes of 'Religion alone gives the morals that sustains society' to 'Religion is a scam made up by the elites so don't believe that hogwash'.
Because, at the end of the day, religion is like a knife, as in, it can be used for good (e.g:- cooking) or bad (e.g:- killing) depending on whomsoever is wielding it.