Chris hedges, who wrote my favorite book on the nature of war, has a great short essay over at Truthdig.  He discusses the gifts and failures of mainstream religion in our society, and the risk of nihilism that accompanies its growing failure.  I could not agree more.  I think the rise of what I call feminine immanent spirituality, nowhere better expressed than among Pagans, is the only corrective with hope of diverting the US from its descent into secular and spiritual nihilism.