When religions like Catholicism or Protestantism cause division and hate and end up being treated as a stepping stone for peace---

Religion likes to tell people to be peaceful. But that means very little. You might be doing no violence but what use is that if you are a controlling manipulative person or one who tries to get people to combat each other while you stay out of it?  Preaching peace in peace time is nothing to praise.  It is good but not praiseworthy for it is easy to preach then.  A religion preaching peace in the middle of war is going to preach that anyway.  All warmongers claim to be taking steps for real peace.

Religion is there and it is not an overnight job getting rid of it.  For that reason it is natural for the state to try and use it make the appearance of peace even if the religion is dangerous and belligerent.  You can't expect much else and as Jesus said nobody deserves praise for having such a terrible standard.  He said it means nothing if you love those who love you implying religion deserves no praise for what you would expect it and the state to do for its own advantage.

If a huge religion is a religion of violence and it has members in your country the majority will still fear it and lie that it is a religion of peace.  It is as if they hope that they can brainwash it to exercise peace.  It is like they are trying to fix the brainwashed with new brainwishing.

You can't assume say Islam is a stepping stone to peace when any members are violent in its name.  In principle if some can do evil who identify as a group or religion all can even if this is unlikely.  The principle is still there.  It needs to be emphasised even more when it is some not all for it could be lost sight of and the warning needs to be as strong as it would be if all were violent.  When a religion hurts one evil member is too many.  A religion has no justified existence unless it is able to make people even a tiny bit better than they would be with no religion or if all the members were spiritual not religious.  One member killing in its name is enough to decree that people should disband the religion.

To say that religion is good and some of the people in it are bad is really putting religion above people.  Some members being dangerous not all still means they have no right to have their brand of faith honoured in them for that is honouring the faith not them. They use themselves for the sake of the faith by identifying with it.  To degrade yourself for religion explains why it may lead to the degradation of others.

Islam whether it is bad or good wants you to assume that it is a stepping stone to peace. It uses that excuse to soften the blow when you see how many Muslims are violent or enablers of violence. Even that aside it has no right to ask you to assume it is a stepping stone to peace for you can assume it is useless or a stepping stone to more violence if you want to or if you think you should. The more violence you see the more obscene  it is to suggest or hint that you should see the religion as a slow burning religion of peace or a stepping stone to peace. The slow burner idea is a great cover for those who wish to defend harmful religions.