Are We In a Margaret Atwood Novel?

This religion thing is giving me a serious case of the willies.  You've got the Senate Republican leader, Bill Frist, saying Democrats are "against people of faith."  The new pope is a former Hitler Youth and arch-conservative.  He calls homosexuality "evil" while presiding over a significant percentage of his priests who abuse young boys.  He's also the man who delivered the Catholics--and with them, the White House--to Bush in November.  Non-christian cadets at the Air Force Academy are verbally abused and given differential treatment.  Right wing judges are lined up and all a-quiver should the fillibuster fall.  "Revelations" on prime time, and the ratings are through the roof.  Prayer being pushed into the schools; evolution being pushed out.  Evangelicals attending regular meetings in the West Wing.  And then my Dartmouth Alumni Magazine arrives yesterday with its cover story, "Finding God on Campus."

Does anyone else feel like we're moving backwards?  Suddenly, ten years ago feels a LOT more enlightened than today.  The bible-thumping is getting louder and, to me, it's taking on the sound of marching boots.