[spollo]

I'm curious, in the various responses to this comment people are really getting into this interesting concept of certain political ideologies replacing the church, and resembling a religious fanaticism in their application of these ideologies.

My understanding is that we have had secular societies before, eg. the Soviet Union, China, which explicitly try to reduce practicing religion. Did this same kind of "new semi-religion appears to fill the void" event occur in those societies? Is it the particular "holy sacrements" that the west has adopted that is unique? Or are we unique in even having something arise the "fills the religious void"?

[skinkestek]

Read up on the Reign of Terror during the French revolution.

They were very secular and extremely violent and even evil (making shows out of drowning believers etc).

As much as the Catholic Church has something to answer for with the witch processes around here etc, they are small guys compared to the secular/atheists of the French Revolution.

Same goes to some degree for USSR and to a large degree for Khmer Rouge.

[zajio1am]

Reign of Terror during the French revolution was neither secular nor atheistic. They have state religion 'Cult of the Supreme Being', which was deistic. Robespierre himself was deist and opposed to atheism.

[novok]

Heh yes it did. The cultural revolution and mao's little red book being spread everywhere are prime examples in China.

Eventually as the new converts temper their zeal as it hits against reality, but if it's a wave it can make a society do crazy things.