American history consistently features preachers and politicians thumping the bible to rationalize atrocities. From the First Congress up through the Civil War, American politicians used the bible to justify slavery. Even before that, the Pilgrims justified the genocide of the Pequots on biblical grounds. The bible was used to argue for segregation as much, if not more, than it was used to argue against segregation.

The practice has been illegal in the country since 2008 but it’s still widespread—and girls are still dying from it. By Anna Lekas Miller.