I always find it quite amusing when people in Europe feel the need to stress their ancient christian roots to assure americans that we are not at the brink of becoming an islamist colony.

In Germany for example, the biggest "religious" group of people representing 32,5 % of the population doesn´t belong to any religion at all. They have now overtaken the roman-catholics with 31,47 % and the protestants who are at 30,84 %. And then go ask people of the latter two how "religious" they are.

Contrary to a takeover of ancient beliefs, we are instead "threatened" by the proliferation of enlightenment. Not the worst development one may add.

"Personally I don't believe that the 'free of religion' are any more enlightened than the religious."

I disagree. At the beginning of mankind, like in the stone age, people saw supranatural beings everywhere around them - in the fire, in the trees, in the stones, in the sky, among the animals and so forth. It was their way to sort their environment for they were unable to understand how these things interacted.

Later in the ancient world when civilizations emerged and people started to look for deeper reasons far more intensively, they reduced the countless amounts of unnatural beings to a certain number of gods who were responsible for the things still not fully explicable in a different way. A god for the sun, the sea, for war and peace, a father of all gods and so on.

As science progressed, they moved on from polytheism to monotheism. Suddenly only one godlike being was responsible for all that is around us. There was no more need to create many different ones, as there was only a need for a god who created everything and provides us with a mission or a reason to be around.

Eventually, even that mental bridge became more and more needless among progressive civilizations. When people stop to hunger and live without substantial shortages, they don´t need to be put off to the afterlife. Old habits die hard though. So it took its time before the undenominational became a major movement in Europe. It is simply very tempting to believe that there is some higher lifeform around which protects me and provides me with a sense for life, as I won´t have to find it on my own then. It also provides the governing class with a useful justification. And it undoubtably provides comfort in harsh times for those who can believe in such religious concepts.

But for those who are unable to believe in easy concepts because they are full of doubt (traditionally a feature especially of intelligent people), this comfort cannot be gained this way.
They have to look for other solutions. It is more difficult and not as rewarding for sure. But once you reject the easy way, it is your only choice.