|
|
Article: In U.S., symbols of a civil religion are plentiful.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- October 24, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
In the Washington, D.C., building where Nikolas Gvosdev lives, U.S. flags hang in nearly every window.
Many of the residents have come from other countries. Some don't speak English well. But all are seeking to identify with the United States and claim it as their country.
To Gvosdev, a descendant of Russian immigrants, this is beyond patriotism. It is symbol and sign of civil religion, the way that a nation committed to church-state separation binds its moral principles together.
"If you believe in what it means to be an American, if you accept the American `faith,' then it doesn't matter where you come from, whether your family came over on ...