On another note about "without religion, a person/society collapses"
As it seems many of the richest and safest countries with the highest standard of living have low levels of church attendance, while there are plenty of ultra-religious societies closer to the bottom of the list, I would seriously insist some people re-evaluate that stance.

Dear David f,
I cannot seem to see any thing positive in the message you preach. It seems to me to be a very divisive message. On whose authority is it founded upon.
Regards Richie 10

The theocracy that Jesus preached had nothing to do with an earthly Kingdom and His authority has NOTHING to do with man made rules. The reason that the Jews crucified him was because he said He was I AM. Caesar and the Pharaoh's claimed to be Gods and their man made theocracy's have more in common with socialism than Christianity. True Christianity is not a political party but the Kingdom of God which Jesus revealed in John chapter 3. Give to Caesar what is Caesars and give to God what is Gods. Man cannot create life for if it where possible they would have done it. Secularism is about religious beliefs and their role in governing man. Christianity is about relationship with our Heavenly Father through the finished work of the cross . To be great in mans eyes you Lord it over others. To be great in Gods eyes our life is forfeit to God as a living sacrifice to serve others and is regarded by the world standard as foolishness, eg Mother Teresa and I am convinced that she never ruled over an earthly kingdom.

Richie 10 wrote: Dear David f,
I cannot seem to see any thing positive in the message you preach. It seems to me to be a very divisive message. On whose authority is it founded upon.
Regards Richie 10.

Dear Richie 10,

I am neither positive nor negative. I tell the truth as I see it and face reality.

I have a mind and use it. I live in a free society and am a free man. I don't need any authority to say what I think.

We do not have to be united. We can think differently, and apparently we do. There is nothing wrong in that.

You may be preaching. I wasn't.

You apparently have strong religious beliefs. You have a right to have them. However, I do not have such beliefs and feel they are not necessary. Religions come and go. Many who lived in the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago believed in Jupiter and the other gods. Now many people who live in this society believe in the Christian mumbo-jumbo. Two thousand years from now others may believe in some belief that will be accepted at that time.

However, there are skeptics who did not believe in the Roman gods, do not believe in the Bible god and will not believe in whatever supernatural that many people will believe in 2,000 years from now. I am one of those.

Yet another "article" about the difference between reality and fairy tales. AFAIC, be religious or not, it makes no genuine difference to anything at all and if it helps you to believe in sky fairies then go for your life.

You might like to read this link

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=3_TFQE_syJUC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=religiosity+neurology&source=bl&ots=sq0idMiC2H&sig=suVKbVUvohWHD8qx_nRxmdg2YL8&hl=en&ei=O9HFTL3uO4PBcaXVwdkL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=religiosity%20neurology&f=false

which contains an interesting explanation about the neurochemical basis of the religious experience. The fairy tales have little to do with the religiosity of individuals - they're mostly designed to justify the existence of a hierarchical power structure. The religious experience is only relevant to them as a useful tool to get people to "suspend disbelief" - all else is "do as your told by your betters without having to be told, or else".

Not my kind of thing at all.

Dear Richie 10,

If you are citing the Bible at least get it straight. Jews did not crucify Jesus. They could not crucify anybody. They did not rule the country. The country was under Roman occupation, and Romans decided who should be crucified. Jesus was not a Christian. He was a Jew. Christians do not follow the religion of Jesus. Jews do. Christianity was invented by other people after Jesus died if he ever existed.

All theocracies are man made. All religions including Christianity and Judaism are human inventions. Christianity is whatever different Christians think it is.

Secularism is not about religious beliefs and their role in governing man. Secularism is neither for nor against religious beliefs. Secularism maintains that religious beliefs or the lack of them is no business of the government, and government should neither promote nor repress any religious belief.

I think you believe a lot of nonsense. However, those beliefs of yours are your own business.