The period between the end of World War II and the Sixties marked the gradual liberation of peoples around the world. World War II also saw the introduction of nuclear weapons. Planning for the future and residing one's faith in established authority pale under such circumstances. Not that the established order did anything to engender such trust. Religion, whatever else it may be, does not engender freedom.
Religion is about obedience and acceptance.
So it is not surprising to find people rebelling against religion at the same time they are rebelling against every other source of authority in society. Finally, there came an increasing awareness that prosperity in America was bought at the expense of suffering in the world, and that prosperity in middle and upper class America was bought at the expense of the working or unemployed poor. As new media and new technology permeate our lives, there is a growing awareness of what could be as compared to what is . And were religion once again to become the dominant force in society, then with the exception of a few rebellious whiskey priests, we would once more return to our quiet servitude. McDougall justifies his position in the words of the American Constitution and the wishes of the founding fathers.