I believe that it is not a coincidence that as religious sentiment has weakened, political sentiment has strengthened. There remains an instinct to divide the world between a highly principled “we” and an amoral “they,” and political beliefs can serve that purpose. Moreover, just as people used to be able to quickly identify coreligionists by their use of distinctive expressions associated with a particular faith, I think that people today can quickly identify political allies by listening for arguments that employ their preferred axis.
