GODLESS WEDNESDAY: New Greek PM Is Left-Wing And Unabashed Atheist!

The new Prime Minister is Alexis Tsipras. In addition to being the youngest Greek Prime Minister in over 150 years at age 40, he is also the very first Prime Minister to be sworn in using a non-religious oath.

It's hard to overstate what a rupture this marks with the ceremonial culture of Greece. For as long as anybody can remember, every senior office-holder, from socialists to right-wing dictators, has assumed the post with a ritual involving Bibles, crosses and often holy water, sprinkled about with a sprig of basil. The opening words of the Greek constitution recall the theological formulas of the early church which predate by the Hellenic state by more than 1,300 years: "In the name of the holy, consubstantial and indivisible Trinity......"

Most of the European Union is freaking out over the Greek elections because the party that Tsipras leads is also staunchly against the austerity measures that have cause unemployment in Greece to hit record numbers and has vowed to end them, eve if it means that the country reneges on its huge debt and is forced to stop using the Euro as its currency. There are worries if Greece leaves the Euro that the entire financial mechanism collapse.

It's nice to see that rejecting financial orthodoxy is not the only thing Tsipras will be known for!