When studying the history of religion in our country, it helps to understand how much Deism shaped our country and its beliefs. Deists believed there was a God and the best way to discover God was by studying nature and the universe.
The idea of unalienable human rights endowed by a Creator is that for the most part based on observations humans have an instinct to live, to be free, and to pursue purpose (happiness was chosen over purpose since it suggests an individual pursuit rather than collective one). And from those unalienable rights democracy emerged as did capitalism and civil rights.
The more we become disconnected from the idea of God, the more concepts like Marxism that view the world as conflicting identity groups (in Marx's case, the groups were based on economic class) engaged in a struggle for social dominance.
In that sense "our national religion" is grounded in the concept of a Creator not a Christian God. That religion is being challenged and always has been by identity groups... ranging from "churches to ethnicities/races to political parties".
Abortion can be viewed as a classic "religious" decision, not a Christian one. If you believe God granted humans unalienable rights, then babies have a right to live. Likewise, women have a right to pursue purpose and that purpose may not be having a child. And so, the "religious" argument is given both the woman and child have rights how do you reconcile the conflict fairly.
Now if you are a modern Marxist, you see the abortion issue as a struggle between two identity groups pro-life groups and pro-choice groups. Whichever group wields the most power determines the laws and as we have seen that decision can vary by state.
You cannot separate the "religion of the country" which is embedded in its core values including human rights and civil rights from the laws of this nation. Nor can you separate the tribalism inherent in identity politics from government.
America will continue to struggle between our religious values the bind us together and tribal values that tear us apart.
