'Church on a Crusade'. In 1992 Sir John Weston, new #British envoy to #NATO offered his "First Impressions" to #UKGovt: "The Alliance (once described by Bevin as a "spiritual federation") has much in common with the Church, and all Allies must be her votaries". 
He likened #NATOSummit to "religious festivals observed with solemnity...the front seats occupied by the good and the great. Ritual takes precedence over spontaneity. Variations of traditional behaviour in the pews are discouraged."
"Devotional exercises are expected to stop well short of moving and shaking". In layman's speak the metaphor meant that Western public shouldn't expect a rational reason for NATO's existence, it's a matter of blind faith and devotion to the organisation and its high priests.
But how can the politicians ensure this blind obedience from the general public who are asking searching questions about the need for #NATO upkeep? Sir John offered a solution — start another #crusade:
"When there is no #crusade to animate the faithful, especially the wider body whose tithes are so essential to ecclesiastical upkeep at home and missions abroad, doctrine comes under renewed scrutiny and external processions fall off". #NATOSummit
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