Islamicists are often accused of elevating political conflicts into cosmic ones.  They can’t help “religionizing” conflict, given their pre-modern, irrational, non-secular assumptions.

Then Andrew Sullivan writes, shortly after 9/11: “What is really at issue here is the simple but immensely difficult principle of the separation of politics and religion. . . . We are fighting for the universal principles of our Constitution – and the possibility of free religious faith it guarantees.  We are fighting for religion against one of the deepest strains  in religion there is [i.e., fundamentalism].  And not only our lives but our souls are at stake.”

Thus far the wild-eyed secular prophet.  Cosmic war, anyone? Will the real “religionizer” please stand up?