(07-24-2018 02:54 PM)miko33 Wrote:  If we take the article at face value and assume that everyone is converging towards a secular humanist view of the world and that religion becomes extinct, I don't think we necessarily have to replace it with anything IMHO. What do atheists and non-practicing yet religiously affiliated people do today to "fill the void" left by church? Some of the activities that I've seen include: attending sporting events (any level), doing activities with the family, hanging out with friends, participating in community activities, etc.

If this country continues to become more secular, those social connections (tribalism??) will grow organically and occur from the ground up. You don't need any overarching person or group in authority to drive us to "replace church". People will come together via different avenues, but I think that natural drive for social connection to a community will create new venues naturally.

In the U.S., I believe the majority of people who attend churches today do not do so for moral guidance so much as being being connected to others in a spirit of community. The only way churches drive moral behavior is via the use of negative reinforcement - aka the fear of hell is the driver of morality when the churches are the vehicle by which the moral framework is to be preserved in a country. JMHO.

That's there to be sure, but there are many people who are seeking moral instruction because they want to be better people. They aren't hung up on whether there is a heaven or hell as much as they are seeking meaning in the existential. Who am I? Why am I here? What is a good life? How do I live one? And having others seeking the same things gives them a natural connection and to my way of looking at reality that is a force seeking an agreed upon morality informed by reason, scripture that applies, a sense of tradition, and shared experiences (the community to which you refer). In some ways it is like a 12 step program for people who don't like the way they feel and are looking for a better way of living.

But if you have that you get the best out of a religion, the production of more moral and empathetic citizens. And the more of them that there are in a democracy the more likely we are to have a responsive and accountable government.

But clearly that is only the beginning to rebuilding a common bond among Americans.

Negative reinforcement is hardly a relevant factor anymore. Most people seeking to become more moral knowingly or subconsciously are seeking to be part of something larger than themselves and becoming more moral makes their inclusion more appealing.