What has been lost is not religion but discipline. Now my mother was physically abusive in the name of discipline, and it took me until my teens to work out which bits of her violence were down to discipline and which came out of her jealousy, frustration and stupidity. Teachers at school were a better guide, dishing out corporal punishment (still alowed then) in a measured, limited and reluctant manner, always as a last resort. We were taught self-denal, not self-care.

Nowadays, attitudes have changed and disicpline is frowned on. Children are no longer made to eat what is put in front of them or go hungry. Untidy rooms are tolerated, as is noisy and boisterous play indoors. They are allowed to wear what they like, when they like. Teachers have no effective way of countering bad behaviour (gilrls need to be shown up, boys need to be slapped). A person who has not been disciplined as a child does not develop self-discipline as an adult.

On top of which, culture has become all about 'rights' and nothing about 'duties'. The right to freedom of speech should entail a duty to be responsible for and about what you say., for instance. Narcissism, when not a pathological condition, is a result of a lack of self-discipline with a resulting sense of self-importance.