Don’t know who wrote or said it, but it is a very nice passage. America, being made up of humans, is a mix of good and bad with extremes at both ends. I would say America is great, or was able to attain greatness, because it’s free. We will always have our good and bad aspects, but if we cease to be free we will cease to be great. Making America not so “great” is the primary objective of the current, and so far quite successful, effort to make us less free.
The spurious quote in question might be from the following, in Chapter XXII of DiA...
It never must be forgotten that religion gave birth to Anglo-American society. In the United States religion is therefore commingled with all the habits of the nation and all the feelings of patriotism; whence it derives a peculiar force. To this powerful reason another of no less intensity may be added: in America religion has, as it were, laid down its own limits. Religious institutions have remained wholly distinct from political institutions, so that former laws have been easily changed while former belief has remained unshaken. Christianity therefore has retained a strong hold on the public mind in America; and, I would more particularly remark, that its sway is not only that of a philosophical doctrine which has been adopted upon inquiry, but of a religion which is believed without discussion. In the United States Christian sects are infinitely diversified and perpetually modified; but Christianity itself is a fact so irresistibly established that no one undertakes either to attack or to defend it. The Americans, having admitted the principal doctrines of the Christian religion without inquiry, are obliged to accept in like manner a great number of moral truths originating in it and connected with it. Hence the activity of individual analysis is restrained within narrow limits, and many of the most important of human opinions are removed from the range of its influence.But I think that many theocrats wouldn't like the quote because it pushes the separation of church and state so hard. It looks like someone just wrote some words that summarized some of the meaning and claimed it was the original. As has been said, it might have been a "note to self" that was erroneously copied...and then embellished by others.
It fascinates me how so many of the spurious quotes floating around are from "Christians." David Barton's lies, this one, etc., make me wonder what happened to the ol' "false witness" commandment. It makes me wonder if their faith is so weak that they believe there's not enough support for their beliefs without having to fabricate. Sad.
I was also saddened back when I first learned that the "reorganization" quote attributed to Petronius Arbiter was spurious.
BTW, another passage that might have contributed comes later:
Most religions are only general, simple, and practical means of teaching men the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. That is the greatest benefit that a democratic people derives from its belief, and hence belief is more necessary to such a people than to all others. When, therefore, any religion has struck its roots deep into a democracy, beware lest you disturb them; but rather watch it carefully, as the most precious bequest of aristocratic ages.