This kind of moral panic has galvanized conservatives ever since urbanization, industrialization, and first-wave feminism in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Its impressive how everyone sounding this alarm seems to suffer from (s)elective amnesia, championing the good ol' days without admitting that doing so is more a political posture than a historical one.
Personally, I was an atheist scientific that rejected religion for most of my life. Recently to my great surprise I find out that the wisdom I was seeking was there all along.
At the same time, I don’t want to believe in fairy tales and the bearded magician in the sky, but there is a deeper symbolic meaning hiding behind the stories for those ready to dig deeper.
That will probably take a long time, as the "part of society that ... will self extinguish" will parasitically attach itself to the parts that don't (e.g. through compulsory education and mass media), dragging everything down in the process.
Luckily, this may be a convenient way to dispose of all the excess labor that capital will no longer will need once it's been made obsolete by AI and automation.
I don't think the reduction in birth rate has anything to do with religion and a conservative religious society sounds like a nightmare to me personally.
For me the reason for not having kids is simply that life is already expensive enough even with a double income, and life is much more fulfilling without the responsibility of having to raise kids. I've seen so much of the world that I wouldn't have if I'd be rushing between work, school and judo clubs.
I think it's a really good thing that people no longer have to have kids for economic / pension reasons (or lack of decent contraception) but just have them if they really want to. Personally I don't and I don't think I'd be a good father so it's better not to have them.
Ah yes, the old, life is so fulfilling when I'm a constant tourist, and also, climate change is bad but seeing a lot of the world is good.
I think: - We live in the most abundant and easy time ever in the history of mankind. - The news, media and education have completely demoralised people, we are either victim or oppressor, no longer the hero of our lives - Our religious traditions was the backbone of our society and sanity, as we cast it away everything break down.
I think this movement will collapse and people will return to traditions/religion. Others part of society that don’t will self extinguish as is already apparent in the birth rate and divorce rate.
I appreciate your analysis and projection without filters. We have to see clearly what is coming to us.