Political Ideology seems to be slowly replacing church. They are starting to develop very similar "features" as religions: Complex belief systems, rules for living, communities of like-minded (and clearly defined outsiders), ideological friends and enemies, in many cases "with us or against us" mentalities, hero/idol worship, ideology-specific literature, icons and imagery, rituals, chants and singing, repetitive speech and propaganda to reinforce beliefs, community activity (either -building or -destroying), belief in mysticism/supernatural/conspiracies. That religion-shaped hole that people have when they walk away from traditional religion is getting filled with something similar.
