Leo Strauss and religion

I was reading Will Hutton's "The World we're in" last night in bed (I think it was published as "A Declaration of Interdependence" in the US). Hutton was writing about Leo Strauss, viewed by many as the father of neo-conservatism.

Apparently, Strauss wrote that religion was a fraud, but the duty of the educated conservative elite was to keep quiet about this, to keep the masses under control. He also believed the "elite" were not bound by religion. He called this the "noble lie".

This seems fairly obvious, but I can't believe the neo-conservatives would be so open about these ideas, while the flag-waving, god-fearing freecers go along with this.

Do any DUers know anything about this?

ON EDIT: Freecers are like freepers, but are at FreeConservatives.com. It's the same crowd though!

PS, I didn't want that to sound like an attack on religion in general, just the flag-waving type

I didn't realize that religion was part of the "noble lie", but I think this should be FRONT PAGE NEWS, along with all the PNAC info that's behind ALL of *'s foreigh policy.

Do people know about Machiavelli? Do they realize that Wolfowitz was a devotee of Strauss, devotee of Machiavelli ("the end justifies the means")?

These PNAC chickenhawks have been treating nations of the world as pawns on their personal chessboard. People have died and our national security has been compromised, if not ruined, by their stealth actions.

Please say more of what you've read if it sheds any more light on this.

Thanks!

controlling the so-called religious Christian vote. Pure manipulation.

True followers of Christ are working in AIDS wards, orphanages, homeless shelters, etc..... or at least writing legislation to make those jobs easier.

The faux followers, like Ralph Reed, are manipulating the fundamentalist believers for political gain.

still links to 'freebritannia.co.uk', which is now a placeholder 'this URL for sale' site, saying:
"Marijuana Law
Comprehensive list of marijuana laws state and federal. Information on LEGAL herbal alternatives."

not quite what you expect. I hope this means the right wing fanatics are going out of business.