I think some of you are missing the point on the rhetoric coming for our political representatives. Do you really think its harmless when President Bush refers to the war on terror as a "crusade"? Even when the rhetoric itself is not harmful, it is indicative of the role that religion has on that politician's policies.
This article from the CS Monitor focuses on the role of religion in shaping Bush's foreign policy, but it can also be applied to his domestic policy:
New scrutiny of role of religion in Bush's policies