blood, sacrifice and the nation: revisiting civil religion
This article is from the authors of the book blood, sacrifice and the nation: totem rituals and the american flag. The summary on the jacket of that book states: "this compelling book argues that american patriotism is a civil religion of blood sacrifice, which periodically kills its children to keep the group together. the flag is the sacred object of this religion; its sacrificial imperative is a secret which the group keeps from itself to survive." this article is on the same subject. (From journal of the americana academy of religion 64 (wint 1996), p. 767-780)
Read: html/image-based