Where is the abuse CarolC? Because someone strongly disagrees with you and says so, isn't abuse, unless you are some dainty flower of womanhood who can't handle the heat.

You said:

"That's hardly the same thing as how the people who are governed by the State identify themselves with regard to religion."

No CarolC, I disagree completely. We ARE talking about the people, who ARE the government in a democracy. We aren't talking about the religions of the people. We are talking, in THIS instance, in THIS thread, about the government. We are talking about an ELECTION of our government officials. NOT BLOODY RELIGION!!!

Hence the vociferous (you would say 'abusive') reactions against the original post in this thread. No one is arguing that there are US citizens who believe in religion. No one is arguing that they pray. What most of us have said here is that religion and prayer has NO PLACE IN DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.