But runner, it's more about the source.

Laws are essentially a set of commandments that we've agreed upon without recourse to a god. Much of the Christian ritualism isn't about morality - can you explain to me why it's immoral to eat meat on a friday... as opposed to Thursday?

It is laws that bring us together - you can talk about holy judgment all you like, but while you may see it as a reality, not all of us share that - it's this unwillingness to accept other views that creates divisions.

How would you react if I were to suggest you were immoral because you didn't properly worship buddha? What if I told you your entire moral code was worthless because of this?

How then, would you be able to engage with someone? How can you reason with them? How can empathy exist, when the approach is simply telling them their morals are worthless, and they're wrong?

TRTL,

It was never a matter of morals not to eat meat on a Friday but an act of reverence because Christ was crucified on a Friday and it was considered a pious exercise to abstain from meat on that day of the week.
It also meant a good assured income for fishermen, particularly during Lent when most Christians abstained from meat.

Came the Reformation and all that tom-foolery was done away with in what became Protestant countries.
The fishermen started to go broke and in England, at least, the authorities had to institute a Political Lent.

All of which has nowt to do with witches.

Which witch witches? Ah! The aliteration curse.

Why isn't fish regarded as meat?

Well, if fish isn't regarded as meat... what about the Easter Fish?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000227/ai_n14292994

See, now it's just confusing...

Further to that runner - if you're genuinely worried about shifting morality in the face of declining Christianity, can I suggest you follow up on certain works of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche?

A concept he explored was the 'death of god'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_is_dead

It's not the literal meaning - god isn't a physical presence that can die. It's more that humanity has killed the concept of god through their own higher learning, thus, the moral code that exists under the Christian faith is gradually lost. Essentially, the concept we've just been debating.

Nietzsche concedes the points you've made are valid - that it's possible nihilism will run rampant without the firm hand of a deity to instill values.

On the other hand, there's also the possibilty of freeing humans from the shackles of always looking to a supernatural realm, instead focusing on the here and now...

The Roman Catholic head in Sydney, Cardinal Pell, was writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday 23rd September 2007, that Harry Potter gets his vote. I thought it was a dumb statement and the Cardinal traitorous to Christ. Where is the scriptural insight anymore? A battle between good and evil even in a witchcraft concept as we see in the Harry Potter books and films is still offering witchcraft as a big, bright, shiny lolley to the subconscious mind of youngsters. The RC church used to be much hotter once before on demonlogy. Perhaps in their mad rush to gather all other world religions into the great RC One World Church of the bibles last days (see Revelation chapter 17 and Mystery Babylon) they have dumped some of the more important aspects of the great invisible war on earth (Ephesians 6:12-18)...i.e. dealing with evil spirits. Perhaps the Cardinal should pop over the the pentcostals for a while to refresh his memory on demons, deliverance and not leading children into witchcraft avenues that lead to the fallen powers. Looks to me as though Mr. Pell has crossed the valley to set up his tent in satans camp.