Very thought-provoking post, Danzig- I agree, that it's hard to discuss religion without someone feeling their own faith is being attacked, when in fact it's usually the way the faith is being interpreted by some individuals.
Timm, really, truly, I don't think Christianity is under attack today any more or less than it ever was in this nation- if you do some research about the "war on Christmas," for example- oh, that goes back ages. In the 1800s, ministers were preaching that it was sinful, sinful, for people to exchange gifts at Christmas time, and decrying the commercialization of Christmas. In the 19th Century (I'm glad America ignored that one- I love giving people gifts). If, for any reason, it seems like more attention is paid to Christianists than Islamists here in America, it's because, honestly, we have more Christianists doing violent things here than Islamists (note, I say HERE. Islamists are absolutely tearing many other parts of the world apart... grrrr....). Probably because more Moslems here tend to be Asian Moslem, or converted Moslem, and they tend not to be poor- poverty seems to go a long way towards breeding radicalism. I read once that terrorism is the angry cry of the dispossessed, and while I think that's simplistic, I think it is easier to make a poor man strap on a bomb than a rich man- the rich will fund it, but they won't do it themselves.
I just read a review in Salon of a book written by a Wall Street Journal writer about American Islam- I think I'll have to pick it up. Here's the review- doesn't the book sound interesting?
http://salon.com/books/review/2007/01/15/muslims/
In the end, I say three cheers for the secular nation, that allows all its citizens to practice their faith as they see fit. Hey, if we really HAD been founded as a devout Christian nation- meaning, if the most devout Puritans had gotten to run things, Danzig and I would be in burkas right now-- those Puritans also believed in covering women head to toe. And I HATE wearing skirts under the best of circumstances...