I tend to agree that we have more open and more flagrant violation of church-state separation now than ever before.  Faith based initiatives?  Really?  Forced prayer in the military?  Judges leading prayers in courtrooms?  Hell, even as big a college football fan as I am, I've been looking for a way to sue the fuck out of the University of Georgia over what amounts to forced prayer meetings for athletes.  (Yeah... sure.  It's optional.  You can be the one guy who isn't a team player!  Go ahead.  Be your own individual.  The team doesn't need you... and don't worry about that starting position.  You won't be eligible.)

I think it's fair to say that the good Senator McCarthy started this steam engine rolling by equating atheism with communism.  We still haven't gotten rid of that tag.  Then, when the Carter administration turned its back on the newly formed Christian political organizations, most notably with respect to Roe v. Wade, it turned into all out war.  With the exception of Prohibition, I can't think of anything so blatantly religious that has been politicized as much as either abortion, stem cell research, or gay marriage.

I think we're going to see a slight shift away from theocracy in the Obama presidency.  Even moderate Christians seem a little scared of some of the intrusions of religion into the public sector.  It's my hope that having a black president will help.  White America is going to be constantly reminded that there are other people in the country who are not like them, and that they have a right to be here, and a right to the same rights as everyone else.  Perhaps this will even translate to a little more religious tolerance.

Also worthy of note is that this is (if I am correct about this... somebody check me) the first time we'll have a full time atheist lobbiest in Washington during a democratic presidency.  The FFRF has gained stature in the last decade, and is now a force to be reckoned with.  Never before have so many atheists been so vocal on the internet.

The seeds for a shift are planted.  I just hope we all have the intestinal fortitude to keep on the offensive and support organizations like the RRS, FFRF, and people like Lori Lippman Brown.   There are tough economic times coming.  I hope we remember that faithful Christians will still be tithing.

I tend to disagree with one thing Matt. Most christians I know are pretty moderate and still see no problem with the intrusion of religion into politics. We've been calling for the moderates in islam to confront the extremists for years. They, like moderate christians, almost always side with the extremists on issues of this sort. Atheists are seen as the enemy so the more open minded individuals tend to gravitate to those who hold more similiar ideas than the one pressing the charge. 

This war can only be won a battle at a time like any other war. I think it's great the FFRF is able to lobby the government now on state/church issues. The big problem as I see it is that theists tend to operate with blinders on. Most will say that they don't want a theocracy, but say that it's ok to mention god in public office or have god in the pledge, just as long as there is no established religion. It's a slippery slope and you'll never see it coming until it's here. This is why the first amendment says NO LAW........ as in none whatsoever.

If you think we are out of the woods you'd be wrong. There are just as many people on the left who want to turn our country into a Christian version of Big Brother socialism as there are right wingers who want to make it a fascist state. The only difference between the two parties is what version of Jesus they want our government to suck up to.

Christians on the left will keep those seats at the back of the bus and protect abortion and gay marriage, but still want our government to favor their religion over all others. AND they are more likely to institutionalize laws against blasphemy which would make it harder for us to speak out against magical claims. They get just as offended when we say Jesus is a myth as anyone on the right.

Thats because they believe their religion is right. Imagine if we had some muslim stuff injected into our government (NO! I AM NOT REFERRING TO OBAMA!). How would the like it then, if it said "In Allah We Trust?" or if the pledge had "Under Allah?" That is exactly how the non-christians feel about this stuff: Cast out, sometimes pissed off, and as if our rights have been slighted off.

More than slighted.

The christian god IS allah.  Christians, muslims and jews all worship the same god, just under different religions.  You may as well say "under allah" etc as you're saying the exact same thing.