Political parties, as well as soccer clubs all have the structure of religion: doctrines, beliefs, texts, rituals, experiences, testimonies, symbols, and art

Indeed. Always have been. The un-nerving matter of the moment is that they are both taking central ground and destined to align as one autocratic force i.e. no opposing forces to keep it in check

Neo-conservatism and neo-liberalism has somehow fooled and/or morphed conservatives and liberals into thinking they are conservative and liberal ideologies. The neo-ideologies are both for the 1% and deregulation of corporations. They are not for the "lower classes". These two "new" groups and the effect they have had on voters is very weird and disturbing. I don't expect much from voters these days anyway.

I broadly agree that there is a similarity between religion and political ideologies: just look at the purity testing that occurs on both the far left and the far right. Maybe a better term to use is a cult? Myopic ideologues behave in a similar manner to the devoutly religious when you challenge their worldview: either they shut down the conversation or they just make up claims as they go without evidence. I’ve had this happen to me a few times on this site. It is a shame, but it is also just human nature. People need deep convictions to hold onto to give them structure and meaning: having your worldview challenged is uncomfortable. I know that from experience and to their (the ideologues) credit it is a difficult process to go through.

Stephen Pinker is okay, but this is balls. It's so far from reality I can only believe he's being rhetorical. It's no better than saying science is a religion, or environmental activism.
Where are the sacred texts, the more-than-human prophets, the eschatologies? It's a painful, and pitiful, stretch.

You can look at the extremes on both sides and this bears out. The right wing overtly and regularly conflates political ideology with religion, even in their mainstream. I see less of that on the mainstream left, and more flexibility regarding policy issues based on facts. But the quest for ideological purity cuts both ways.

Maybe so, but the left's ideas are generally based on science and fact-based reasoning while the right is grounded on religious faith for which there is no independently verifiable supporting evidence. And when I say grounded I mean like a ship that has run aground. They are going nowhere. ?

I definitely think so, and I'm not happy about it. I just finished that book, and it made me feel a little better about the world, though obviously there are some large problems looming in front of us. I definitely lean to the left, but I'm skeptical enough not to take anyone's word for things without checking it myself.