Progressivism is a nontheistic Christian sect.

Richard Dawkins is a "hardcore adherent of the world’s most successful sect of Christianity." That's what Foseti reports. Foseti is reading Moldbug's Unqualified Reservations, and that is Moldbug's way of seeing Dawkins. Foseti writes,

Instead of arguing against Christianity, Dawkins is arguing for one sect of Christianity over all others.

Who are the Progressives?

Moldbug’s answer is that the Progressives are a nontheistic Christian sect.

Similarly, political correctness and diversity-worship really can’t be understood unless they’re viewed as religious beliefs – at which point their operation becomes startlingly clear.

And what are “multiculturalism” and “diversity” but religious tests for office?

How did this religious sect evolve?

Jefferson dumped the Trinity, Emerson relieved us of Hell, and so on down to Harvey Cox and his “secular theology.” (If you think “secular” is synonymous with “atheistic,” the full horror of the situation is not yet clear to you.)

The progressives are

Ultracalivinsts, who believe in:

1. The universal brotherhood of man – i.e. equality

2. The futility of violence – i.e. peace

3. The fair distribution of goods – i.e. social justice

4. The managed society – i.e. community run by benevolent experts

The four points are very common and easily recognizable tenets of Protestant Christianity, specifically in its Calvinist or Puritan strain.

If you have a rule that says the state cannot be taken over by a church, a constant danger in any democracy for obvious reasons, the obvious mutation to circumvent this defense is for the church to find some plausible way of denying that it’s a church. Dropping theology is a no-brainer.

Assume progressivism is a virus that is solely concerned with spreading itself into as many minds as possible. We see the idea’s evolution, in which it starts as a fundamentalist religious belief and ends up discarding theism so as to better propagate itself in an officially secular system of government. Shed of overt theism, Progressivism “can be propagated by American official institutions, which are constitutionally prohibited from endorsing its ancestor or competitor [ie theistic Christianity].”

Just say, “I’m an atheist, I’m an atheist, I’m an atheist.” And no one will ever be able to accuse you of being a religious fanatic, at least not without substantial preparatory explanation. What more perfect cover story for an actual religious fanatic?