Somewhat off topic, but I'm beginning to believe the environmental conditions that allowed for the development of the philosophy that Jefferson espoused might have only been present for a unique moment in time.
That is, all eco-systems by definition exist in a state of scarcity. This is what forces competition & adaption, and allows generational mutations to determine ('guide') successful traits & characteristics. However, just like drugs & alcohol short-circuit endorphin reward feedback mechanisms, the discovery of the New world upset millenia old social control systems.
With the explosion of abundance, (Western) man, for the first time in history, could truly be independent. Even more incredible, he was equipped with important technology (the gun) that allowed him to not only operate freely against potential opposition, but to also acquire more than sufficient foodstuffs to support large(r) families.
However, just as drug addicts engage in fanciful thinking and engage in visions of grandeur, the realization of this moment as perceived by Jefferson was one of belief that it represented a new, true potential state of man.
When Darwin used the term 'fit', he didn't mean to imply subjective terms like stronger, better, smarter, faster, etc. Rather, all he meant was the best set of attributes given the current state of the environment. In this regard, while Western man was certainly the most fit during an era of surplus, perhaps he doesn't represent the best set of characteristics in times of scarcity.
This is what I think the elites realize, and is the driving reason behind the population substitution programs taking place in N America & Europe. With genetic programming and advanced tracking and surveillance, a scientific security state can be crafted to organize and delegate roles.
Religion in this kind of environment would be heavily promoted for the masses as a powerful control mechanism. With a nod to history, it wouldn't really be any different than how the Roman elite seamlessly transitioned to the church as secular taxation and regional security programs disintegrated. With tithing and the threat of excommunication, the roll-up wealth effect could be more easily maintained with a minimum of overhead and effort.
I have to hand it to those who invent and breath into life religious forms, whether it's a violent manifesto like Mohammed, a sex pervert like Joseph Smith, or just a guy looking to make a little cash like L Ron Hubbard. The fist time I saw St Pauls, I was struck by the sheer genius of those who nurtured into being such a magnificent, all encompassing control system.
If only there was a time machine where I could share a beer with the originators, and exclaim and praise them as "you magnificent bastards!".
>>Even more incredible, he was equipped with important technology (the gun) that allowed him to..."Zap em wit yer siren man.
Zap em wit yer siren!
They love that."
--The Photo Journalist
https://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/engl372/kipling_man_who_would_be_king.pdf
Êzidî - Fire in the Mind of Men
"So saying, the Angel Peacock, Melek Taus as we call him, spread his wings and flew away over the inaccessible mountain-tops. That is why we Yezidi, the descendants of that compassionate shepherd, sing hymns to appease and glorify the Spirit of Evil to this very day. Our hymns are scorned by the rest of the world. Both Christians and Muslims alike hate and persecute us. They call us 'Muraddun'-- Infidels and Devil-Worshippers. Our priests, Qawasls, travel secretly and do not wear priestly robes. They carry with them, hidden away from Muslim and Christian eyes, the effigy of a peacock. When we pray, we do not turn towards Mecca like the Muslims but towards the Polar Star, the immovable source of light in darkness, the point of the axis round which the whole universe resolves."
http://www.songsouponsea.com/Promenade/Tale.html