Benton, you've always been one of the few Sintians I like. Your characters are also some of the few that have any grasp of the feelings the continent in general has towards Sint.
Hemaglobe's lieutenants are daimons. His avatars are daimons. How do you think this looks in general to people IC?
One was demanding forced conversion of everyone and everything with beheading, yes. However there were several, including Indirik's character, who were trying to push that we "follow Sint's laws". Which would have required the same damned thing.
Yes, Cyprian has a poor grasp on English. However, I noticed Sintians reading into what he was saying much the same way. So did other rulers.
And when I was willing to instead transfer the duchy to Nothoi so as to alleviate the problem, Cyprian and Indirik threw a fit then too.
Does my character dislike Hemaism? Absolutely! He also wants to see the OGF, Bloodspeakers, and the ASOIAF rip-off religion in the South burn. I think there's one or two other religions, but I forget about them completely. Victus, of all my characters, is the one that would love putting people to death and forming a good old fashioned bloody Inquisition (which exists on Beluaterra, but not as powerful as the Spanish one).
You say three or four people were being unreasonable zealots in Sint. Yes, but when there are only two or three others that are practicing reason and practical sense, they seem to be outnumbered!
If Benton was leader again? He'd have a much higher opinion of Sint. But the last few? No, he really doesn't like Sint all that much because of it. Even if he has repeatedly tried to give Sint chances (he had to, he was married to Skye and she liked Sint!).