Michael Pollak -clip-
That decorum part is important in other ways as well. Because it was always part of the informal sphere, religion in America has from the very beginning been associated in the minds of believers with revolt against the established order. Which gave it a frisson it never had in Europe. And which it still has for its followers today.
^^^^^ Pretty convincing argument, the whole historical analysis; Europe had feudalism with the Christian church as a sector of the feudal ruling class. The U.S. started out with capitalism, and bourgeois,Protestant revolt against the feudal, centralized church.
So, in the U.S. , religion is the party punch, instead of the opiate, for the masses.
The status of protestantism as former ideology of rebellion, helps sell Christian right religious protest as the (phony) cry of (fake )oppressed creatures. The Christian right poses as victims who are defending themselves from the liberal, secularist establishment. Central to the demogogy of the Christian right is the absurd notion that the Christian majority is oppressed and victimized, or "their feelings are hurt" ,by non-Christians. In fact, Christians are the overwhelming majority dominating the state power and social order, especially in relation to the tiny, tiny minority of atheists ( well ,the atheists who are not capitalists)
A disgusting form of lie - oppressors posing as victims or defenders of
those they oppress - is a common theme to the demogogy of today's Rightwing
: Christians (victims of atheists), Republicans ( defending the common "man"
from the liberal establishment) , anti-abortionists ( defending fetuses from
their mothers) Americans ( victims of "third-world terrorists").
Charles