re: destroying each other's credibility....
And it's supposed to be the most advanced country in the world.
There are many, many Americans who regard the pervasive nature of christianty in this society with great unease. Personally, I find it both disturbing and disappointing.
Chritianity in Canada, though obviously present, isn't as fundamental a part of the national psyche as it is here in the US. If a Canadian political candidate were to emphasize religion as strongly as some US candidates do, he/she would be widely considered a joke.
I don't this reliance on religion speaks well for American society in general, and for our education system in particular. And it'll be generations (at least) before America starts to transcend superstition.