I'm irish to and the empire offers freedom only reason the banned talos worship is because they need to bide their time with the thalmar until they can figure out how to defeat them.
I posted this in another thread, but I'll repost here, just 'cause:
The argument that the Empire is "gathering its strength" and that everyone should support them is fallacious. While the Empire is gathering its strength, so is the Aldmeri Dominion, and the Thalmor are tightening their grip on the Empire day by day.
Imperial hatred of the Thalmor amounts to posturing and the wringing of hands.