Religion

Atheists always believe they are not religious.

The Material Explanation

As Technology empowers, the World will be overtaken by a single sovereign Authority, or erupt into a thousand sovereigns; the former ensured by a Monopoly on archdominant Technology, the latter by Mutually Assured Destruction, Invincible Defense, and Parity; ever stronger offense against ever stronger defense at ever lesser cost, but ever greater control.

We see this in history from the enlargement of States and the reduction of Great Powers, to the nuclear defense and the terrorist attack.

Perhaps Ideas, enabled by Communication and Revolution, work the same.

The Government of the domestic United States

In the domestic United States, the mechanics of government, the criminal and civil law, and the judiciary and military, still majorly operate according to the original forms of Anglo-Saxon and Founding law.

The Professors and their Ideas get around this material fact by holding sway over the minds of voters and office-holders, directly participating in the civil service, and being the supreme authority on the state religion: Reason and Science.