in Stalin's atheistic regime. In Hitler's anti Jewish, anti-Christian regime. And then we see it in other
places where secularist ideology was imported-Mao's China, Pol Pot's Cambodia.
And today existential misery and suicide are highest precisely in the places where secularism is most
prevalent-the example I know best is Quebec. Forty-five years ago Quebecers had a strong Catholic
identity; now the churches are empty, nationalism hasn't proved itself a satisfying religion and societal
malaise there is profound.
The Province of Quebec has one of the highest suicide rates in North America, with approximately 1500
cases per year. It constitutes the principal cause of death amongst males under 40 years of age.
Quebec Mental Health Neuroscience Network (2005)
Peace,PrestonDear Preston,I intend to answer your letter; however, it is absolute crunch time right now. High pressure. These are the
last remaining days of songwriting before we enter the studio and never has there been greater pressure on
the quality of the songs. I have a hard time focusing on other things when I am in a songwriting phase.
Sincerely,
Greg
At this time Greg became completely focused on writing the songs for The Empire Strikes First and
then on recording them. A couple weeks after recording was completed, he went to Europe to promote
Bad Religion's new CD. BR's 2004 North American tour soon followed. The band returned to Europe in
the summer of 2005.
Around the same time, Preston began work on two books (beside this one) and had to put a lot of time
into preparing courses he would be teaching for the first time. His wife was also eager for him to stay
away from the computer after he had come home from work.
The following notes were written after BR's 2004 tour.Dear Preston,
Perhaps you have seen the song "All There Is" on the new Bad Religion disc. Every night when I sing that
song on stage I feel like the people in the audience hear the words but never really internalize the
implications of the rhetorical question, "Can that be all there is?"