Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of atheists in foxholes… including, of course, the foxes.
The promiscuous mingling of church and state left me slightly nauseated
On a recent visit to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, I happened across the Washington Memorial Chapel, which looks very like a small cathedral, except that larded in with the pulpit, pews, baptismal font and other trappings of ritualized Yahweh worship one also finds heroic statues, state seals, bad poetry and other elaborate encrustations more often associated with city halls, capitol buildings, and other excretions of Governmentlandia. The promiscuous mingling of church and state left me slightly nauseated and even a little shocked, for usually the two principalities have the decency to partially veil their incestuous intercourse. Not that they ever really take a break: the intertwining of spiritual and temporal urges dates at least to the days that popes crowned kings and though there have been spats down through the centuries the relationship is still passionate. And like any relationship that stands the test of time, the attraction is not merely physical—there are numerous practical benefits. Churches benefit when the state mandates, or at least encourages, religious observance and prohibits the use of psychedelics and other alternative spirituality. And governments are always happy to have their subjects sedated by the opiate of the masses and made ready for war or servitude, as the need arises. In business terms—and what other terms could possible apply?—the synergies maximize profit.
But whether we puny humans, struggling to achieve a bit of happiness in this vale of sorrow, also benefit is certainly debatable. It’s difficult, after all, to see institutionalized religion as anything but an expensive inconvenience and the best thing one can say for most governments is that they do a good job tidying up our corpses after we die in the wars they inflict on us. So reducing the reach and influence of these predators is greatly to be desired, and prohibiting their immoral congress is a good place to start.
Because I have a large brain, I know what you’re thinking: you’re thinking, ‘Hey, here in the United States we do separate church and state’ but the separation I have in mind would be considerably more separate. Public officials would not be sworn in on the Bible or any other holy book, they would not be allowed to publicly express religious beliefs—ideally they’d be atheists, or at least agnostic—there’d be no such job as senate chaplain, and in every other way conceivable the two lovers would be thoroughly segregated, or at least adequately chaperoned.
I find it curious that believers are so eager to get in bed with politicians, and a little hypocritical as well. After all, if there is anything at all to this God they keep nattering on about, He is presumably able to take care of Himself, and even promote His preferred agenda, without the aid of government programs, pogroms, or other manifestations of politicized religiosity. And certainly His followers are able to cause more than enough trouble without the benefit of State support.
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While I think there is too much mixing and mingling of politics and religion, I do like that we can at least express ourselves, even if we happen to be in government. I fear the other extreme, where religious faith is punished, as has happened in some Communist countries.
I suppose you’re right. What I really wish is that humans would start to grow up as a species, and leave behind religion and other foolish things.