Separation of church and state

Imagine if we lived in a country where a visit to a shrine, church, or declaring a national day of prayer was considered a violation of church and state.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi violated Japan's constitution by visiting a Shinto shrine for war dead, a court ruled on Friday, but analysts said the ruling would not stop him from continuing the annual pilgrimages that have angered China and South Korea. .....

Judge Masaharu Otani at the Osaka High Court in western Japan said Koizumi's visits to the shrine were official acts and violated the country's constitutional separation of religion and state, but rejected the plaintiffs' claim for damages for mental distress caused by the visits.

Now, I recognize that this is probably the means by which this judge is trying to stop these visits which are so controversial for other reasons, but try to imagine the Bush presidency without church visits, days of prayer, or religious language.

After all, the cloak of religion is what these guys use to turn this yokel into someone serious. Can you imagine him running for president on his Texas gubernatorial record, business history, or debating skill?

Just interesting.