> Here's my proposal: (1) develop a good historical materialist
> understanding of the religious in all their varieties; (2) create a
> new secular -- but not secularist -- world view for ourselves (we
> currently have none that all or most of us share even inside the
> Marxist tradition); and (3) NOT to equate Marxism or socialism or
> leftism with secularism and make adherence to secularism a condition
> for being part of the Left, narrowly or broadly defined.
I'm no doctrinaire Marxist, but as far as I can see, this just means going back to Marx:
1. He provided a compelling social analysis of the ideological role of religion in a capitalist society. The religious practices in the U. S.
today and the capitalist economy are mutually reinforcing. How much more historical-materialist can you get?
2. As Marx emphasized repeatedly, "Worldview" is a product of social relations, not the cause of social relations. --cf. Marx flaying the economists of his time for reifying the person in capitalist societies as acting according to "human nature": human capacities and worldviews are a product of sociohistorical relations, even (or especially!) when we assume they are antecedents. The political action to challenge capitalism will lead to the worldview, not vice versa. (Or again perhaps a mutually determinative relationship.)
3. Marx did not consider atheism a necessary prerequisite to participate in the political struggle against capitalism. I'm sure the more diligent Marx scholars on the list can dredge up the relevant passages in his work. Sure, atheist Marxists need to work with religious activists. However, this collaboration is neither more nor less important than being able to work with environmentalists, sci-fi geeks, vegans, professional sports fans, and anarcho-punks. --Worker solidarity on the basis of shared exploitation!
Miles