Secularists have an ethic (or ethical structure) that they get from those who raised them, society around them and schools they attended. That is the thing that GUEST alludes to. It could be considered a religious belief. (Don't flip over the word. I don't mean 'organized religion'.) I mean a set of values that one takes into one's daily life. That is not at all unlike what 'religious' people do. Not all secularists are moral people by anyone's definition of the term. Nor are all religious people moral. To pretend otherwise is foolishness. So, where does that leave us?

To suggest that all religion is a travesty or a sham or a hoax is plain wrong. That type of sweeping statement has more commerce with totalitarianism than it does with democracy. Much like saying all Americans are bad because many of them elected Bush as their president. Basically, the statement is false. I know good secularists and good religious people.

What various people do in the name of their belief system is on occasion shocking. If it is your intent to say that any 'ism' is a religion, then I suppose no one escapes the guilt. However, I think that isn't what you are saying. If you are saying that you don't like organized religion, OK. No pressure from me. But, if you are suggesting that people are weak, bad or easily led simply because they 'belong' to an organized religion, then I think you are very wrong. Secularists don't have a corner on the morals market.