How does the following passage make a religious argument for emancipation? "Otherwise, perhaps, the Israelites had been less solicitous for their Freedom from
Egyptian slavery..."

It all comes with your beliefs (religion). The Israelites were actually kind of sad about leaving Egypt. They didn’t want to leave the luxury and comfort of Egypt. May beautiful plants/vegetables/fruits grew in Egypt, but not in Israel.

Some are disappointed in how the Israelites felt, but others feel the same as the Israelites did.

Even though the Israelites were slaves, they were surrounded by foreign luxuries, which turned some away from their God.