A new religion is born

In the January Commentary David Gelernter announced that Americanism is a religion—and not just a civic religion or a political religion (which are familiar concepts in American political science), but a real religion, a “Judeo-Christian” religion, meaning that Americanism is the equivalent of Catholicism and Protestantism and Judaism.

In his January 20th inaugural address, President George W. Bush announced, in a more arrogant, unmodulated, and hectoring tone than ever before, that freedom—a word he repeated 35 times in the 17 minute speech, along with 15 repetitions of “liberty”—is a gift to every human being from God; that this freedom, which Bush did not define or give any content to, is the highest and most supreme of all values in the universe, so that the freedom virtually replaces the God who is giving it; and, finally, that it’s America’s duty and mission to spread this freedom to every nation and every human being on earth.

Putting together’s Gelernter’s announcement of a new religion called Americanism, which makes the attainment and realization of freedom its highest object, with Bush’s divinely appointed role as its agent, the essential shape of this new religion has now come into view. Its credo is published here for the first time. From this moment forth, every person on earth must swear to this truth, or be seen as an enemy of freedom:

THERE IS NO GOD BUT FREEDOM, AND BUSH IS ITS PROPHET.

Also, the world is henceforth divided into the Realm of Freedom, consisting of the lands that have submitted themselves to Americanism, and the Realm of War, consisting of those lands that reject it. Americanists are commanded to keep spreading the faith, by peaceful means if possible, by forceful means if necessary, until the whole of humanity has been converted to Americanism and brought into the Realm of Freedom.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at January 23, 2005 01:49 AM | Send