God is Great, Hitch, and so are you. I never miss an opportunity to read your incisive articles. I do know that there is a God through experiential reality (blind faith is for fools and madmen), but I also know that he is not a genie who can be corked in a bottle. God belongs to no one. My hope is that I will be saved, but I have no idea whether or not I shall be. That's God's decision alone.

Neither can it be said specifically who will or will not be saved. Generalities may be valid (guys like Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot most assuredly won't make the final cut), but beyond that no one knows the mind of God. Christians have the hope of salvation, but Jews have the promise of deliverance (the promise of Abraham). A careful reading of the Bible will show that God has selected among the redeemed prostitutes, thieves, murderers, non-Christians, and non-Jews. A careful reading will prove that God is no respecter of persons. Rick Warren should read it sometime.

I certainly concur with your assessment of Rick Warren, the huckster and pastor of the Brokeback megachurch. All churches that I am familiar with are corporations doing business as churches fleecing the sheep and making a fool of themselves and the members of their congregations. The Bible refers to them as the whore and the daughters of the whore.

But as to the matter at hand, why is there a religious invocation at a government event? What of the separation of church and state? And, if we truly respect all religions, why is it always an ostensible Christian ceremony? Why not rotate between Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Wiccan, Druid, et al? And why do politicians swear on the very Bible that forbids the swearing of oaths? If Obama doesn't know these things, just how extensive is his ignorance?

I can only conclude that it is all a terrible sham. Perhaps instead of wringing our hands we should clap our hands and laugh.