[Physicist]

They certainly are not religious in nature, as I am an agnostic.

Let me amend that: I am a Deist. For most of my life I was an agnostic. For most Freepers, that amounts to the same thing, anyway.

[Physicist]

A further amendment: I started out as a Christian. No change in my religious philosophy ever made any difference in my mood.

[E Rocc]

They certainly are not religious in nature, as I am an agnostic. Let me amend that: I am a Deist. For most of my life I was an agnostic. For most Freepers, that amounts to the same thing, anyway.

Actually, to many it amounts to "atheism". Agnosticism actually covers a wide range. Both a normally strong atheist and a Cardinal in the Vatican technically qualify if they have the slightest of doubts about their beliefs.

Personally I don't believe that God makes a habit of interfering in the affairs of man, any more than a good parent meddles in the lives of their adult children. However, I don't tend to push this point of view. I know a lot of people who draw great comfort from their religious faith. If that's what they want, that's fine and perhaps even a good thing. Most of the time.

The problems start when people become so convinced of their faith that they begin to believe that their views should be enforced. The writing of the Constitution was one of the turning points in world history largely because it established a place where this was not supposed to happen.

-Eric