The core of ALL religions and "worldviews" (which I generally will refer to as "religions" due to the dogmatic adherence to Its Core Values by its adherents) can be summarized in the following:
- Where did mankind come from?
- What has caused us to get in the state we're in? (Global poverty, war, crimes, etc.)
- What can/will be done to correct the aforementioned state that we're in?
Even with the lack of an abject deity, Evolution qualifies as a religion in the sense that:
- Mankind evolved over millions/billions/trillions of years into the state he's in now. (Note: This part requires adherents to exhibit faith in the teachings of the Theory of Evolution - Mathematics has been REPEATEDLY used to disprove the feasibility of "blind" [caused by completely natural means] evolution)
- Mankind is currently in a state of (different proponents of the Theory of Evolution inject different phrases here. Marxists, for example, say "repression by the borgeois", others might say "not in a high state of evolution and/or enlightenment")
- The solution for Mankind's problems lies in a further evolving of the human race into something better, just as Mankind evolved from something below itself.
See what I mean? Even Evolution can be considered as dogmatic a religion as Christianity - It has a CLEAR doctrine ("Mankind evolved from the swamps, unassisted by an unnecessary deity"), and cannot AUTHORITATIVELY be proven by ANY scientific means (we still have no "missing link", there is NO clear case of evolution happening in our lifetime, nor during ANY of the documented generations before us, etc.)
I won't try to group Evolution in with Secular Humanism, as obviously there are followers of the Theory of Evolution who believe in a higher being of some sort (as is evident by the "Intelligent Design" proponents). Either group is fully capable of being its own religion, and also capable of being mixed in any number of quantities to become yet another religious outlook on life.
:) ttt