The fact is that as long as the judges ARE lawyers the system is broken. How are you to sanction the guy who you eat lunch with or plan on working for after you retire? And as long as we're electing lawyers to the legislatures we're shooting ourselves in both feet.
There needs to be in each county a committee of folks who AREN'T on the bar that review complaints of ethics violations. Preferably really bitter Helen Thomas type hags.
They can hold office. Just give up their license to practice law forever and they are on the ballot.
Regarding respect for religion. It gets about as much as it deserves. Religion is a very mixed bag.