I agree that one can, but the point is- most don't, which is why, I feel, Steve felt compelled to write this column. The demise of adherence to weekly religious service attendance impacts significantly the collective effort, diminishing what was the prime vector of charitable giving in this country from its inception. You won't find the numbers necessary to maintain a rate of charitable giving comparable to that from religious services in non-religious civic organizations, be they the Elk's Club, Shriners, VFW, or smaller, grass-roots community initiatives.

Yes, communities work better when people are nicer... but sometimes people need help converting the abstract to the personal for things to get done. Politics may be personal, but religion even more so- just one reason why it's still needed, despite its detractors.