Shockadelic, neither communist China nor Soviet Russia count as secular societies - and certainly not secular democratic societies. In both cases dictators (Mao, Stalin) set themselves up as "godheads" and ruthlessly suppressed all other religions. Almost by definition, that's not secular.

Shockadelic, do you know if ALL youth workers in all organizations believe in a God?
Does it really matter?
Do you honestly think that a person has to believe in an invisible being in the sky before they can be good or helpful to others?
No, of course not.

Shockadelic, since when was Australia "...overrun by alien people..."? (Since the Europeans overrun it, that is!)
Australia is a secular, multicultural country that is highly prized as a destination of choice for immigrants and asylum seekers the world over.
We must be doing something right...

All the arguing, rationalisation, philosophy, punishment threats, twisting of words, denials, belief etc etc etc can't negate one simple fact .... no deities exist.

No deities.

No spirits.

No ghosts.

No demons.

No gods.

No hell.

No angels.

No God.

No purgatory.

No devil.

No heaven.

However, because current knowledge of existence is so markedly tiny, "belief" in the supernatural flourishes amongst many different types of people. Nothing whatsoever will sway many of them from their "belief". They have a right to "believe" whatever they choose, and no right at all to impose those "beliefs" upon any society.

In a free society, people have the right to believe, the right to not believe, and others have the right to make a different stand ... one that says "no deities exist".

Supernatural existence is an invented concept by mankind. Throughout history, the concept has been used for the purposes of control. The more educated, informed and free a region becomes, then the concept becomes less controlling. The concept had it's roots in ancient, ignorant and uneducated times that date back to many tens of thousands of years before the birth of the 2 main current beliefs, Islam and Christianity. Modern Christians are often in utter denial about the horrendously evil and violent history of Christianity (just as historically violent as Islam), and are experts at making "excuses" for the history.

Have we noticed Christians, some of them are non-beivers too?
The strongest supporters here seem fixed on religion being about their God no other.
Yet their God came from,is the Jewish one.
500 years after,the Islamic one came from the same source.
How about Budda.
What about EVERY OTHER God.
EACH we are told by the followers made this world.
Why is Y trying to tell us it it is wrong not to believe, but does he in all these others
Who of us believes in Scientology God.
The exclusive Brethren God, seemingly fixed on cash and property.
Those American television preaches, some who went from Diamond studded Mansions and great wealth to Prison, who follows their God.
Can the Catholic Child Molesters believe in God?
Are they contentedly waiting still for a place in heaven.

It's a wonder NASA hasn't come across this heaven as yet, if it exists.
I think compost is the closest anyone will ever get to heaven.
The whole idea of religion belongs in ancient times, when people believed in after life. There's enough people in the world now, without being told birth control is against the church rules.
Religion needs to be outlawed, then everyone will be equal, heathens.

secular. adjective. of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal.

Nothing about democracy there, Johnj. The only way you would ever get a "state" that's 100% "secular" (which in your statement appeared to mean *all* political agents have no religious motives or agendas whatsoever) is through dictatorship.

A democracy, in a liberal society, with candidacy open to all citizens, inevitably results in the election of *some* people with religious perspectives, inevitably influencing their decisions.

Suseonline, the question was put to you that there's no "organised set up" by atheists for social problems, like atheist counseling, atheist food kitchens, atheist homeless hostels. Where are they?

"since when was Australia "...overrun by alien people..."? (Since the Europeans overrun it, that is!)"

Today's immigration is highly discordant with our ethnic history, with 3 out of 4 immigrants arriving in the last decade being non-European.
You admit *Europeans" overrun Australia, which makes "Australians" what, susie? European, not "the world over".

What happened to the Aborigines is happening to us, only slower. Inevitably "Australians" (i.e. descendants of those European overrunners) are perpetually declining as a *proportion* of the population. But that's okay, because white people are evil, right?

DiamondPete "Nothing whatsoever will sway many of them from their "belief""
Or you from yours. You don't have a "fact", you have an opinion.

Belly, you equate the religion of a criminal with their crimes. There are atheists who molest children, defraud little old ladies of their life savings and promote bogus life solutions. Is that also a product of their atheism?

Atheists are the first to link the religious to crime, but the crimes of the irreligious (e.g. Stalin) are somehow nothing to do with their irreligiosity.

579 "It's a wonder NASA hasn't come across this heaven as yet, if it exists."
And you call others ignorant. The concept is not part of the physical universe, genius.
"Religion needs to be outlawed"
By your "secular" state? Secular meaning no involvement in religious affairs?
Do you even understand the concepts of "liberty", "privacy" or "individual sovereignty"?