I want to add that Don's well written note came online while I was composing my less well-written screed. I am not a fan of Bush, and I worked for years with a lot of evangelical Christians who definitely were anti-Darwinian. However, by and large they are good folk and whatever my quarrels with them and with 'W' there is no probability that the US will turn into a religious state. There are plenty of dangers inherent in our world today, including the dangers that certain religiously held but false doctrines will lead us into major mistakes, but a government of saints is not on the horizon and there is no world view without flaws (except, of course, mine).