I was a Christian until about 15, then I became an agnostic, then an atheist, and now I am juggling between agnostic and pavlina's strategy (see podcast #13) and I must say, spirituality has been present through out all of these stages.
I don't in any way attach spirit to religion. I completely agree that is needed, and will continue to be a big thing forever, especially as humans evolve mentally. I believe that the smarter you are, the more spirit you need. My reason for saying this is through my experience and this article:
Why Intelligent People Tend To Be Unhappy