secularism is divisive

The title of a little blurb in Touchstone from the eloquent Anthony Esolen:

I am getting pretty sick of the standard "religion is divisive" line. First, I'm not sure divisiveness is such a bad thing, when the alternative is bland apathetic homogeneity or state-enforced silence. Second, who started all the big wars since Napoleon?...

Perhaps those who fear "divisive" religion really fear that people will unite and resist the totalizers...