Kim Robinson - outside reading #5

One of my classes this semester was called Power & Mystification. The majority of our time spent looking at and examining how political leaders and social figures gained and used their power. However, at the beginning of the semester we were discussing government as a whole and many of readings talked about church and state. It was interesting to read all these articles that highlight how religion has become part of every government, no matter how much they say they seperate it. Even in our own government there are obvious rituals or symbols that can be directly back to religion, more specifically Christianity. When the president gets sworn in every four years, he (so far) places his hand on a copy of the bible and some even add "So help me God" into their oaths of office. There the president of the US is acknowledging the power of God in a very public venue. Also, the official motto of the United States and it's government is "In God We Trust" . We now use that motto on almost all forms of currency. I'm not saying that I believe it is wrong that the US government uses religious symbolism or rituals in the practice of government. More that when I was reading these different articles it really just struck me that as a people and as a government we openly declare that the fate of us all lies in the hands of God. That we trust his reason above all others. I just thought it was interesting and now it makes me want to go look for connections of religion to out government :p