[JamesP81]

The Democrats must find a way to close the sacredness gap that goes beyond occasional and strategic uses of the words "God" and "faith." But if Durkheim is right, then sacredness is really about society and its collective concerns.

Really? Then how come in Christianity the central tenet is personal salvation by a personal relationship with God? It seems to me that this guy is seriously suggesting that people vote republican based on their desire to enhance 'group rights'. This guy's comparison of liberals and libertarians is really a laugh too. Liberals have more in common with the Italian fascist party than they do libertarians.

I don't see how a supposedly educated individual could say such crap with a straight face. Liberals are statists, conservatives are individualists. It's not the other way around.

[sassbox]

But if Durkheim is right, then sacredness is really about society and its collective concerns.

Really? Then how come in Christianity the central tenet is personal salvation by a personal relationship with God?

Actually the notion of Christianity as a personal relationship with God is relatively recent. Historically Christianity has been viewed by Christians and by non-Christians as a collective entity. Remember, not every collective institution is a statist one. Families are collective institutions, for example. I think the author's point is that Democrats dismiss all these collective social institutions (except for the government) and they are foolish to do so, given the way humans are hard-wired.