Letters to the Editor
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Imagine how great civilization would be if it weren't for those damn humans!
[It's interesting that this discussion has taken 30-odd screens of replies to settle into a truly meaningful dialog, although we're hopelessly off-topic at this point.)
Arty again: Since this dilemma hasn't been successfully solved in this society, namely atheists and secularists accepting and promoting a modernized equivalent of Delphic enlightenment...
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Walter Lippmann's nod to secularism in 1929 had become a widespread phenomenon by 1960: "When men can no longer be theists, they must, if they are civilized, be humanists." As secularism exploded across America from the 60s to the 90s, where was that humanist agenda that was supposed to replace religious values? With rare exceptions, it didn't materialize
Secularists have certainly taken a stab at it. There have been three iterations of the Humanist Manifesto, for example. [While it may seem that taking three tries indicates the difficulty of the problem of getting it right, it also reveals a flexibility to revision that the main religions cannot abide.] Unfortunately, it has not attained the critical mass that can rival the main religions.
But even if atheists and secularists came to agree upon a single text that addressed all the concerns of humans and translated such text far and wide, how could it be promoted? The established mainstream religions allow for no competition, and indeed command their followers to kill heretics, albeit in archaic references. One self-preserving mechanism built into mainstream religions is their lock on the followers, coupled with endlessly-repetitive rituals that reinforce servility. Compared to this manipulative system of indoctrination, ANY alternative doesn't stand a chance, regardless of merit.
Now you cite numerous 'selfish' (in the truest sense) examples and slogans that have encroached upon society since the 60s, and try to make a correlation to the increase in secularism. (I'm kind of surprised you didn't also bring up the controversy of Vatican II, which also occurred in that time frame.) Did atheists or secularists step up to the plate and offer a solution? How about the Buddhists? Where were they?
Yes, allow me to sidetrack your argument and substitute Buddhists for secularists. Here is a 'religion' (if one wants to expand the term) that lays down a foundation of morality and spirituality, pre-dates Christianity and Islam, and is followed by millions. On top of that, it 'preaches' non-violence to a much greater extent than the Big Three.
Your argument is that the lessening influence of Christianity (primarily) coincided with a permissive period in U.S. history. And I'll save for another day all the positive things that also came out of that period (human and woman's rights being a couple of biggies). But all the social ills, by your line of reasoning, came about because the established moral guidelines suffered a hiccup. Now wouldn't that have been an ideal time for Buddhists to step in and offer the Delphic message of moderation and self-knowledge?
Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. For one thing, Buddhists are not evangelical. They also happen to have a minority following in the U.S. But foremost, their message is rather complex and deep, and the doctrine does not have the backup of disciplinary actions that the other religions love so much to hold things in check while the followers get their lives right. In other words, you must already have a certain level of moral maturity to follow Bhuddism, whereas the mainstream religions have, over the centuries, honed boot-camp discipline and cradle-to-grave servility. (Just last night I watched the 'Magdeline Sisters' and its heartbreaking documentary that chronicled how the Roman Catholic Church abused Irish girls who, in many cases, were incarcerated on nothing more than accusations.) Meanwhile, Tibet, a heavily-Buddhist country, demonstrated none of the ills you lament. So one cannot argue that Buddhism is an inferior structure of morality. But if Buddhism didn't transplant to the U.S. during those years of turmoil, what chance would atheism have had in winning people over?
You conclude by saying that fundamentalists identified this moral vacuum whereas the secularists generally ignored it. I won't argue with you there, as today's climate of religiosity makes clear. As I wrote earlier, atheists have a 'marketing' problem, and thus are always left on the sidelines of the debate. What is truly unfortunate is that one needs to promote their morality at all, but that seems to be because humans are still unruly beasts who cannot be trusted to act in accordance to the Golden Rule. And again, it's an unsavory realization to live with.