And nothing much has changed. Before we consider the ancients superstitious and blinkered, we should note that we moderns similarly conflate the political and spiritual in how we sacralize the political realm. For us, God and country tend to be two sides of the same coin. Further, we also sacralize market economies, where the “invisible hand” is an all-knowing and benevolent god seeking our well-being. To question the “wisdom” of the market is to question a divinity. As it says on our currency: “In God we trust.”
