There are a thousand causes of any social phenomenon because events are always interrelated in ways that boggle the mind, and if we write an explanation of some such pattern, we're liable to emphasize only a few of those causes that interest us or that are relevant to some other issue. You emphasized some causes that are relevant to Backyard Church (including atheism's alleged role in subverting American society), and I emphasize some causes that interest me and that you left out of the narrative.

Anyway, I'm aware you're not coming at this from a Christian perspective. Still, I think your article leaves out some relevant aspects of Christianity and American culture, as I explained. And you insinuated that atheism is bad for social cohesion unless it happens to be coupled with an independent humanitarian, anti-tribal outlook. Indeed, atheism is compatible with lots of cultures, from China's to those of Europe's social democracies.

Regardless, religion's been a far more reliable exacerbator of tribalism than atheism. And the distinction between Christianity and paganism is dubious, bordering on propagandistic. Christianity is Hellenistic Judaism and thus half pagan. Judaism itself was Hellenistic in the first century CE.

But again, I think American tribalism stems more from its unique situation, as I explained, than from its Christian roots.