Can we have a truly free secular society?

You seem to be attempting to meld the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution into a single document with a single purpose. This is not the case. You're also taking the phrase "endowed by their creator" completely out of context with regards to its purpose and the usage of language at the time. Rights are not "endowed," they are inherent as demonstrated in the Constitution.

Secularism does not hold that there is no higher power. It simply makes a distinction between the roles of government and religion. The Constitution, a purely secular document that provides for the free exercise of religion, clearly makes this distinction.

As you pointed out, it is the nature of any government to seek to assume control over its citizens. The difference in the U.S. is that we have, through the Constitution, absolute control over that power. While we sometimes (foolishly) allow the government to overstep its bounds, even to the point of negating certain rights (ie. the Patriot Act), we still retain the power to restore those rights.

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Whatever the "power" backing the rights up, the government must fear violating it, it must command popular respect and be adaptable in the face of changing conditions. I am at a loss as to what might meet these criteria. For example, Time-honored tradition is probably a strong enough authority to uphold unalienable rights, but by definition it isn't very adaptable. Wisdom/philosophy would hold up a little better under changing conditions (but at some fast rate of change, people can no longer generally agree about what is wise, whereupon wisdom also loses its authority).

Interesting question. Good luck with your thesis.

Who says a creator has to give you your rights for them to be inalienable? Anything "given" can be taken away.

Societies that are run on a religious basis, those run more strictly than the USA is, are all about taking away or curtailing people's rights.

Look, we're all here, and we're all going to die. In between, isn't it best to do something you enjoy with that time? Left to our own devices, most of us will just do what we always do, job, family, etc., because people just aren't that creative.

But for those people who do want to do more, or do something different, why should they need approval from a source outside themselves?

The human spirit (not as a religious thing, but just as our individual spirits) gives to each of us a unique set of likes, dislikes, ideas, etc., and no one outside of us should try to take those from us.

Of course there will always be people who will want us to be afraid of something like God because they fear chaos, or someone gay living next door to them, or some other very very small-minded thing, but, in fact, most people are basically good, and will live and let live.

So, as far as I am concerned, when my dad's sperm hit my mom's egg I was created, along with my rights, and as long as I inhabit my body, no person on earth has the right to mess with them.

Enjoy your life~

c-roscoe

dude,you should look at europe that embraced secularism.they are dying and islam will eventually kill them.you are a putz ,people need morals and values.feel good and pleasure destroyed rome. study history.