Gracy Olmstead of the Federalist explains why treating politics as a religion leads to bad news.

Following last week’s attempted assassination of Republican congressmen by a progressively inclined shooter, our political discourse has again turned to the subjects of civility and hate. How have we gotten to this point—in which a Bernie Sanders supporter would attempt to kill politicians on the other side of the aisle? How could our presidential election foment enough hate and discord to result in the shooting of congressmen playing baseball? …

… We need to uncover more thoughtful ways to interact with each other, and means of conversation that don’t encourage fearmongering and bombast over thoughtfulness and compassion. This isn’t about standing around in a circle, holding hands and singing songs. It’s about preventing violence, hatred, and schisms that tear our country apart.

In America, organized religion has slowly lessened in importance in people’s day-to-day lives. The number of people who attend church every week has dropped, and the Americans who identify themselves as “nones” (religiously speaking) is on the rise. Though many would still say they believe in God, that doesn’t guarantee regular participation in a church, mosque, or synagogue.

Meanwhile, political dogma is on the rise. We virtue signal not through religious adherence, but via protesting and voting. We treat our political ideologies not just as governing ideals for the nation but also, often, as private orthodoxies.