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wish to pledge allegiance "under God" or attend an established (preferably Judeo-Christian) religious service each week. Richard Dawkins wrote a curmudgeonly best seller, and all of a sudden people are running around convinced that he speaks for everyone who's ever questioned whether God exists. As an agnostic theist who has read "The God Delusion," (and, let me tell you, Dawkins has some unpleasant things to say about my fellow questioners) I doubt he speaks for many beyond himself and, frankly, I think he exaggerates from time to time in order to increase book sales. "Hey, I don't believe in God" won't sell nearly as many copies as "Anyone who believes in God is an idiot" will. Sad commercialism, but true.

I think the ultimate "faith" legacy of 9/11 has been a compartmentalizing of American citizens by religious denomination. Trust has been lost, and so spiritual groups seem to isolate themselves, entrenched in the idea that those of different faiths somehow represent a threat akin to that carried out by those 19 extremists seven years ago. Those of us whose spiritual quests leave us without a "church" or gathering place of like-minded seekers to seek support from must often keep our spiritual thoughts to ourselves, lest we be accused of lacking patriotism or even presenting a danger to the country we support and call home.

And that is a sad legacy indeed.

Learn more about this author, Jayden Harlow.
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