I really need to do more studying and write an essay on how Americanism is a genuine folk religion which reveres capital and the vague concept of “the free market” as a god of providence to be pleased in order to lead a prosperous life, also that the founding fathers are prophetic, perhaps even messianic figures who basically gave birth to this god through the revolutionary war, and that the vast majority of conservative Christians in America revere capital more than the god they claim to serve in an ironic sort of golden calf situation.
I think you’re just stupid, bro
Apotheosis of Washington
1800–1802 John James Barralet
There is a trend amongst depictions of the founding fathers to show them as literal christ figures, a trend that started very early in the nation’s life.
I’d also like to point out Washington & Lincoln Apotheosis, artist unknown, about 1865, the same year as lincoln’s assasination
The personification of America in the form of Columbia, a goddess of both the land and the concepts that America tends to inhabit. A pre-anime Hetalia. She was often used in depictions of Manifest Destiny, a religions ideal that stated that America, by God’s will, must go from coast to coast.
American Progress by, John Gast, 1872. Note the indigenous people cast in literal darkness, away from the light. The religions deification of America relies upon colonialism and white supremacy
Like, there are actual studies on this stuff. Look up “American civil religion” if you’re struggling for search terms. Or “American founder worship.”
also worth noting the vatican lists americanism as a specific official heresy. so even beyond the mountains of scholarship on the religion of americanism from various religious & secular perspectives, the roman catholic church itself officially recognises it as a religious heresy in the general region of idolatry that can be used in official church courts as grounds for excommunication. and it’s a religious view that’s drilled into americans so aggressively that to them it seems perfectly natural, whereas to most of the rest of the world ‘america’ seems more like a terrifying mind control cult than a country. this has led to large swathes of american catholics being members of a different religion than that of all the worlds other catholic populations and is a big part of how they became the closest thing to a pan-catholic in-joke, a global laughing stock if you will
Bioshock Infinite wasn’t ideal but making this subtext into text was probably one of the better things it did. Real interesting vibe, and they didn’t have to work hard to get there.
I’d like to remind everyone that Mormonism is a form of this “Americanism”
Also. There is never a moment to hand it to the Catholics, they’re also colonial bastards.
Under no circumstances is catholocism, or the pope, “based”
