What would America be like if ....

On my commute to work, I decided to keep count of how many churches I drive past. The count is 7. Some of these churches are within blocks of each other.
Now, as a thought experiment, I would wonder what America would be like if we replaced each of these churches with a library. What if we replaced each pastor with a librarian? What kind of an America would we live in if people went to the library with the same fervor and diligence as they do their churches, and projected the same reverence given their pastors to their librarians?
I would expect a more learned and critical American populace, one where critical thinking flourishes and is not suppressed, one where scholarship and learning for learning's sake, not just for the sake of passing a test, takes root. One where we begin to elect leaders not based on spin and likeability, but on facts, knowledge, and leadership ability. One where we can tell the difference between opportunity and opportunism.
Secularism is the way to progress, while holding on to the falsehoods of organized religion would take back thousands of years of progress.