So often people forget the meaning of both the word, and its origins. It comes, not from godless societies, but, in fact, from the era of great diversity and explosion of faith itself. The founding fathers of European humanism - Erasmus, Machiavelli, Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio and Shakespeare - were all deeply involved in the world of faith. Machiavelli's political philosophy makes explicit the necessity of piety and observance for Republics to maintain their liberties - even if he also criticizes the excesses of the clergy. Erasmus of course is capable of both scalding attack against rigid and procrustean theology in In Praise of Folly and, at the same time, profound meditations on the relationship between reason and faith.
The recent exhibit on Kung Fu Tzu - Confucius as his name was latinized - leads to a reflection on one of the most important changes in the society as a whole: the return of observancy into political life across the spectrum, which is not tied, necessarily, to a particular theological or denominational adherence. America, after a long period where ritual meant a sitting down to watch a particular television show, wants something more personal, immediate and pervasive. For a specifically political site I am working on a piece entitled "Cathedrals of Resonance" on the changing nature of politics and religion in the United States, contrasting the previous wave of religion in politics - which was expressly Republican in its orientation - with a newer one which is not.
The rest is here.