In Beeb we trust

In Beeb we trust
: A BBC Washington correspondent gives us a terribly self-important and condescending view of Americans and religion, painting us all — starting with the Pres, but everybody else, too — as Bible-thumpers with

I am talking about Mr and Mrs Average in Normaltown, USA.

Mr and Mrs Average share an uncomplicated faith with its roots in the puritanism of their forebears….

Americans will talk of praying as if it were the most normal, rational thing to do….

Having made the decision to fight the good fight – and have no doubt about it President Bush has made that decision – the nagging doubts, the rational fears, the worldly misgivings – all those things felt so strongly by post-religious Europeans – can be set aside.

President Bush looks as tired as Prime Minister Blair sometimes, but never as worried.

Both are religious men but the simple American faith – with heaven and hell, good and evil and right and wrong – appears rather better suited to wartime conditions.

So he’s blaming the war on God now.

So we’re all a bunch of simplistic fools.

It’s this kind of religious bigotry that forced us to get away from you, remember?

What a snot. What a Brit.

Hmmm. I’ll bet your Prince Chuckles is praying now!