A secular State is best for religious and atheist citizens

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Political secularism is a force for good: happiest states are secular liberal democracies

Michael Nugent
Michael Nugent is chair of Atheist Ireland
about 11 hours ago

Many people misunderstand the difference between atheism and secularism. Both are forces for good, but for different reasons. Atheism can mean actively believing gods do not exist, or passively not believing gods exist.

Most atheists believe gods exist only as ideas in the minds of humans. Most atheists are open to new evidence that we might be mistaken.

Secularism can mean philosophically focusing on the natural world, or politically separating Church and State. Many religious people support political secularism.

Indeed, Atheist Ireland has a working alliance with Evangelical Alliance Ireland and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Ireland to promote a secular education system.

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/a-secular-state-is-best-for-religious-and-atheist-citizens-1.2930240

[TexasProgresive]

1. As a theist I wholeheartedly agree.

Iraq and Syria were secular states. The dictators were ruthless but especially in Iraq Jews and Christians were able to worship freely while under the same draconian rule as everybody else. People never seem to remember that Iraq'a foriegn minister was Tariq Azziz "...he was an Arab nationalist he was in fact an ethnic Chaldean, and a member of the Chaldean Catholic Church."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariq_Aziz

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2. I didn't know that.

[TexasProgresive]

3. One of the oldest Jewish communities when back to the time of the exile (Daniel)

flourished in Iraq. After the idiot dimson broke the nation they have all left for Israel. Several years ago it was down to 2, one elderly man who refused to go and one young rabbi who pledged to stay with him until he died.

The Christian communities are caught between hammer and anvil, between the Shia and Sunni Muslims.The Jews had the option of emigrating to Israel, but the Christians have no place to take them in.