Quote Originally Posted by denuseri View Post
Supporting the American tradition of seperation between Church and State however doesnt require that one be demeaning, belicose, sophistic, or disrespectful of one's opponents and their beliefs or go on a campaign to abolish their first amendment rights.
You are absolutely right. But it also doesn't require me to respect everyone's beliefs just because they have them. I can respect a person for himself, can respect another person's rights, without having to respect a belief which I find ridiculous.

And a non-secular state, a state with only one belief system (which need not be religious in nature) appears to be exactly what the athiests are actually "preaching" for...your own rehtoric in many cases in several threads including this one clearly shows that.
Don't paint me with that brush! I have never proposed a state with only one belief system. Like the founders of the US seem to have intended, I have always proposed where everyone's beliefs, or non-belief, are given fair and equal treatment within the law. Personally, I wouldn't be dismayed by the eventual decline and disappearance of religious thought, but it's not something I would want to force upon anyone.

its an anti-any religion system of non-belief centered around the abolishment of any and all things even remotly religious,
No, that's not what I've said. Just keep it in its place, where it belongs. Religion belongs in church, or in the homes of believers, or in the hearts of believers, NOT in the science class, or the government.

that obviously includes not allowing parents to have their children even raised the way they wish in their own faith
Again, that's not what I've claimed. All I've said is that parents do NOT have the right to force OTHER children to be taught what they believe by forcing those beliefs into the school system. Again, while I think parents may be harming their children by NOT teaching them to be critical thinkers about everything, including religion, I don't say they shouldn't be permitted to raise their children religiously.

or anyone anywhere to be able to publically speak about or display iconography
They are free to display any iconography they wish, as long as it is not on property owned by the City/State/Country. Those properties belong to EVERYONE, not just one religion. And even there, I would pull back from some of the more radical elements and say that I don't see any problem with, for example, a Church putting up a Christmas display, provided they get the necessary permits, pay for all of the labor and materials, and properly remove the display when the season ends. And that would also include the rights of a Temple to mount a Hanukkah display, and the rights of the local Mosque to put up a Ramadan display. EVERYONE has the same rights, or none can. THAT is where most communities run into trouble. They want their manger scene, but don't want an equivalent Muslim, or Hindu, or non-christian themed display.

I have to run now. I'll try to get to the rest of the post later. In short, though, I don't think we're that far apart. You just don't like my tone.