Ignatius Insight Scoop: What is the world's leading "secular religon"?

This was posted several days ago by Carl Olson and I meant to be sure I placed the link on this blog. The question is answered in a summary by Freeman Dyson who reviews several recent books on global warming:

"Freeman Dyson, who is a professor of physics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and a winner of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion (2000), reviews a couple of books on global warming for the June 12, 2008, issue of The New York Review of Books (ht: CF). What is most interesting, at least to me, are his concluding remarks:

All the books that I have seen about the science and economics of global warming, including the two books under review, miss the main point. The main point is religious rather than scientific. There is a worldwide secular religion which we may call environmentalism, holding that we are stewards of the earth, that despoiling the planet with waste products of our luxurious living is a sin, and that the path of righteousness is to live as frugally as possible. The ethics of environmentalism are being taught to children in kindergartens, schools, and colleges all over the world.

Environmentalism has replaced socialism as the leading secular religion. And the ethics of environmentalism are fundamentally sound. Scientists and economists can agree with Buddhist monks and Christian activists that ruthless destruction of natural habitats is evil and careful preservation of birds and butterflies is good. The worldwide community of environmentalists—most of whom are not scientists—holds the moral high ground, and is guiding human societies toward a hopeful future. Environmentalism, as a religion of hope and respect for nature, is here to stay. This is a religion that we can all share, whether or not we believe that global warming is harmful.

To anyone who responds "Rubbish! Why, this is a right-wing style rant," I'd ask some follow-up questions. Why does this tie in so well with the entire "vegan" adventure now in vogue, the entire "Gaia" New Age thing implicit in "Earth Worship" and the fact that more and more scientists can no more debunk this than they can prove to "true believers" that abortion is the killing of a child and not a secular type of sacrament? We are now at a point where those who wouldn't think an instant of worshipping our Lord God on Sunday for one hour will spend hours sorting the greens, cans, papers and plastics so that we don't despoil "Mother Earth."

I believe that Professor Dyson is on to something monumental....