Religion F or many, the strong reaction against President Bush's nomination of John Ashcroft to be the next Attorney General signals how anti-religious American culture has become. Many conservatives stand in disbelief when opponents question whether Ashcroft's religious convictions will conflict with his ability to administer the law of the land. They believe, in fact, that religion would only strengthen one's commitment to truth and justice, and they see the doubt of their opponents as an ominous confirmation of the secularization of America at the start the 21st century.
Plenty evidence appears to back up that conclusion.
God, in any case, certainly seems to be a dirty word - not only in politics but also in popular culture. Yesterday's Boys Town is today's Cider House Rules . As metaphorical orphans in a modern world, we must find our individuality by breaking from the confines of an old-style religious order rather than finding a refuge within it. Maybe, though, we need to shift our idea of what religion is or has become in the last 30 to 40 years. From Touched by an Angel to Mysterious Ways , our primetime TV line-up has continued to bank on the marketability of this type of religious fervor.