In the week after 9/11/2001, George Bush Jr attempted to roust world support with his declaration “you’re either with us, or you’re with the terrorists.” The statement mirrors the Bible’s Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me”. Bush was not only dividing the world, but speaking in code to his religious following.

In the future, it will be useful to trace political statements back to their religious origins. Noah Vawter (see also his Smooth Ride project) has built up a prototype of the Religious Speech Sensor.

Statements in news reports can be highlighted while web browsing and pasted into the sensor. The Religious Speech Sensor (RSSense) compares the statement with the entire Bible to find the most likely verse of origin.