Just an idea

It just occurred to me that although the current U.S. administration seems to be dominated by what is being called the "Religious Right", and many people are up in arms about how the U.S. is no longer a secular society (if it ever was) and that religion is at the root of all the bad politics happening there, I suspect that this is a really simplistic view of what is really happening.

Every politician knows that to be elected to power, they have to appeal to the majority of the people. Your chances of being elected if you're a member of a minor party are low, and if you are a member of a major party, you would never be allowed to campaign for issues that only interest the minority. To keep their job politicians must toe the party line, and depending on what's at stake, they often act in whatever way they see necessary to stay in their position of power.

George Bush claims to "talk to God" for guidance in his role and has people in his administration who also claim to be devout Christians. This may be true, but I suspect that it is in their benefit to claim this, because it will appeal to a lot more voters if they do. I'd like to get my hands on some statistics, but I rekon the Bible belt is a huge proportion of the U.S. population.

George Bush isn't really about supporting love of God. He's about supporting the elite and the elite supporting him in return. I doubt he would have any real understanding of the needs of the people who live in the middle of the U.S., but he's gonna say God tells him what to do, because that would be reassuring for the many Christians who vote from that region.

The "Religious Right" is just a smoke screen for the elite to act our their dirty struggle for power in the U.S. It's a pity, because a result of this situation, along with the actions of a minority of Christians (the evangelical ones) is that religion is getting a really bad rap right now.

I disagree with Richard Dawkins that religion is the root of all evil. I believe the human tendency to seek power and privilege and to treat 'others' inhumanly in the process, is the real cause of war and atrocity.