> [Religion] is the [...] realization of the human essence [in fantasy], since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. [...] Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.

There's definitely an element of secular faith, in institutions such as science, the march of progress, the market, justice, freedom etc. I don't think which altar you kneel at matters as long as you feel there's an invisible hand called inevitability moving things in a good direction.

Not necessarily. Religion as a coping mechanism for struggling people is surely documented?

True happiness is found by relationship with other people. This has been true since the beginning since we are all born to a mother. The infant needs connection or it will die. This is true for all humans and that need does not diminish or sever as we grow.

So we have to connect with others. We make friends, find partners, have kids. Society is the collection of relationships and religion is one way to create, organize and maintain those relationships. It is not the only way. Some find connection in nationalism and fascism for example.

Capitalists and politicians have transformed American exceptionalism into a focus on individualism. Failure is an attribute of the individual. Ironically, capitalists avoid failure by incorporation (collective groups of individuals) which allows them to socialize the losses amongst the shareholders or if too big to fail, the general public. This has not always been true in America which has had significant periods of humanistic growth. That is what we need to return to. I think generationally the millennials are more humanistic but there is certainly a nationalist rise taking place. Personally, I think Scandinavian countries are happier in general because of their collective humanism which is embodied in support services.

I've heard it in some podcast, neuroscientic probably, but I can not find it anymore who was interviewed and I would appreciate some clue about it, he said something in the sense that religion may be some regulative mechanism imprinted into brain - so if everybody has it the same and follow it then everybody is happy. Technology, CCTV etc. would be an external control mechanism used instead.