It took way too long and managed to destroy far too many lives in the process, but the "America is a christian nation" abominable lie is finally fading away.
For the first time in more than a decade, a narrow majority of Americans say churches should stay out of politics, according to a poll released (August 21) by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
The results suggest a potentially significant shift among conservative voters in particular. In 2004, 30% of conservatives said the church should stay out of politics while today 50% of conservatives today express that view.
As they used to teach in elementary school, the second-biggest danger the Founders determined to avoid in designing a new country - after the dictatorship of a monarchy - was the catastrophic religious wars that had ravaged Europe for centuries and that were caused by allowing religion to pollute the public sphere.
(More after the jump.)
For the past 30 years, since egomaniacs like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson first saw wealth and fame in turning their loyal fundies into political freakazoids, the secular republic for which generations of patriots fought and died has been at risk.
As a few courageous atheists tried to warn eight years ago, George Bush's proclaimed preference for the fantastical whisperings of an invisible sky wizard over the "just a goddamned piece of paper" principles of the U.S. Constitution was more than enough to disqualify him from seeking public office as a dog catcher, much less the president of the United States.
And yes, Barack Obama's insistence on spending tax dollars to support religious establishments is just as much a screaming, flashing red light of approaching disaster.
Let's hope it's not too late for him to realize that not just a majority of his party, not just a majority of those likely to vote for him, but a majority of the nation disapprove of such anti-secular pandering.
Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.
