By Metrosexual Manichean Monster DougJ October 5th, 2012
There’s one way in which I am very much like George Will. I call myself an agnostic because I’m not decisive enough to be an atheist. I tend to believe that organized religion is at best the opiate of the masses, and, at worst, another way for the overlords to persuade one half of the plebes to fight with the other half of the plebes. You don’t have to agree with me, but this is certainly a good example of the latter:
This is a religious country. Part of claiming your citizenship is claiming a belief in God, even if you are not Christian.. We’ve got the Creator in our Declaration of Independence. We’ve got “In God We Trust” on our coins. We’ve got “one nation under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance. And we say prayers in the Senate and the House of Representatives to God.
An atheist could never get elected dog catcher, much less president. (Democratic Rep. Pete Stark of California is a nontheist but doesn’t talk much about it).
Up until now, the idea of being American and believing in God were synonymous.
I’m trying not be all Jacobin all the time anymore, but a society where Sally Quinn has any influence is a society that is probably doomed modulo organized insurrection.
Source:
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/10/05/i-watched-with-glee-while-your-kings-and-queens-fought-for-ten-decades-for-the-gods-they-made/