Apparently many, perhaps most, Americans embrace two belief systems that now are seen to be frauds.
Orthodox Christianity, as Elaine Pagels and others have shown, distorts the actual teachings of the historic Christ in important ways. This distortion is being called Christianism to distinguish it from those who follow the actual teachings.
A great patriotic mythology has risen in place of an accurate American history, as documented by Howard Zinn, Morris Berman and others. This fraud has brainwashed citizens for as long as our history has been taught. But how do you teach the history of a country based on genocide, greed and other behaviors we prefer to ignore, especially when most nations are worse? Is this the best there is? How pathetic.
It takes a lot of independent study, and some good college courses, to get through the fog of these frauds. And then you feel like a stranger in your own country.
