What if religion became a matter of empirical analysis? What if we could speak with the dead, and ask them questions? What if we determined scientifically that the nature of life depends upon an organizational energy that underlies the entire cosmos, that we can call God?
The reality is that it is impossible to understand radical Islam except as a reaction to the materialistic pessimism of modernity. Their leaders, quite often, are Western educated, and use much the same rhetoric that leftists do. Our cultural system is failing–or at least has been failing–and the proponents of Islamism see it as a defensive bulwark against the same thing happening to their culture. Rigid people are always fearful people, and it is fear that leads to the cruelties we see from them.
I do believe we can grow beyond religion as our primary moral narrative, and embrace simple decency and light and goodness as our creed. Such a thing, anchored empirically, would be extremely attractive to most all psychologically normal people.