Reflection+on+the+American+Soul

Even though I'm not his biggest fan, I find I must agree with de Tocqueville when he argues that "as a nation assumes a democratic condition . . . it becomes more and more dangerous to connect religion with political institutions." I believe that we live in an age where there is being a reversion of what I deemed a healthy thing in America; that is, the seperation of religion and politics. The amount of scrutiny being paid to a politicians' faith is revolting to me, as I firmly believe religion is a private, not a public, issue. Such theistic concerns are more fitting for the austere courthouses of Puritan Salem, not 21st Century America. But I am not an opponent of religion, far from it. I believe that religion can do much good, but it can also do much harm. Being Americans, our history is steeped in the early religiosity of our settlers and immigrants. They managed to weave a tapestry of coexistance and leaving each others' faiths to their own devices. I'm just afraid that we might be tugging at the string that keeps this beautiful work from unwravelling.

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