Christopher Caldwell, a senior editor at The Weekly Standard, writes often on religion and politics in France

An interesting choice given the conservative tendencies of that publication ... and are they even allowed to have articles in that liberal bastion, the New York Times? Seriously, this is an interesting article that discusses the ongoing struggles in France (and in a sense, Western Europe in general) to secularize the public square by trying "less to neutralize public authorities in matters of religion than to neutralize religions in matters of public life."

The nuance is often ignored by those in this country who think keeping the state out of religious matters is the same thing as interfering with free exercise as an attempt toward promotion of secularism. The current practice in France, though largely motivated by anti-Muslim animus, shows how untrue this really is. It also suggests that keeping the state out of religious matters can very well promote religion in many ways. It is not for nothing that on the whole, our nation is much more religiously observant and thriving than those in Western Europe. To each their own, but our way is not too bad either.

Have a nice Winter Solstice. (Dec. 22)