[Fyron]

Oh, yes, people can usually distinguish right and wrong actions without believing in God - but few will be able to say why one thing is right and another wrong; those who can will usually be leaning on various "feels-right" assumptions. One major catch comes when people strongly disagree on an the right/wrong of an action based on those assumptions one an issue they consider very important. Lacking a source that all parties agree is correct that can be shown to speak on the matter, one of the following will eventually result:
1) Suppression of one side
2) Mutual isolation (usually only possible where there is already a geographic separation)
3) Unpleasantness (of one sort or another) until either one side is reduced to the point where (1) or (2) is feasable, or things reach the point where stopping it becomes more important than the triggering issue to enough interested parties.

With a source that all parties agree is correct that can be shown to speak on the issue, it is usually possible for one side to convice the other that their position is not correct.

Only if you want to absurdly take things to the absolute extreme. It is quite possible (and happens all the time) for 2 parties with differing secular views to come to a mutually acceptable agreement without ever having to hurt each other.

Also, it is completely possible to have a moral system not based on an arbitrary religion that does not rely on "feels-right" assumptions, and most atheists have such systems. Some do not, of course, but most still do.

[ November 20, 2003, 21:28: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]