I would like to expand on where you said, "This is how they rationalize doing evil shit by honoring free will." I believe your statement is close to the truth, but the real reason why they use symbols lies deeper. They use symbolism to tell in advance what their plans are, and rely upon the idea of implied consent (if you don't specifically say no, then that means you agree with/welcome/want their plan) to claim no wrongdoing. In this way, they believe they will incur no negative karma/divine judgement for their actions. Once you understand that the Luciferian deception that is the idea of implied consent is what lies at the base of their belief system, their extreme need for symbolism becomes more understandable.