Can things have a nonreligious context?

You can apply religious connotations to anything in life. Or you don't have to. It really is up to you.

When I heard some people at church talking about "the force" in Star Wars, I thought they were nuts to make such comparisons. Personally, I just enjoyed the film for what it was -- entertainment. My thoughts did not go to religion, even with Darth Vader was doing his thing.

The past was full of superstition, answers were formed more by guesswork than study. The Egyptians and later the Greeks started to look at the world through philosophy and mathematics. They tried to understand the world and all with reason. Later philosophic studies became science.

Yes Newton, Bacon, Occam, and so many others were religious thus superstitious, however they are now superseded.(they were also English, so could you reword your question, "Can things have a non-English context".

Yes things can have a nonreligious context. Indeed that is becoming much more the case.

Sure, there are a lot of various things that have no religious connotations, like math, logic, rocks, trees, most art, etc...

Edit:

Newton was also an alchemist and suffered from extreme lead poisoning. He also stuck a sick between his eye ans it's socket to see what would happen.

Many of the "greats" were great because they were picking "low lying fruit" as opposed to the rigorous work that is done today.

Science neither proves nor disproves the existence of a Creator. It is neutral to theology. That is why it is called science and not theology. (Scientifically examining certain EVENTS from the Bible is different than theology).

There are many philosophies that discuss existence without including god(s) in the equation.

Secularism, Empiricism, etc. Things that many Atheists mistakenly call synonymous with Atheism (which are not).

"Even atheists are raised in a world full of religious connotations"

There's not much of it in Australia.

It seems it's reserved for something little old ladies do on Sundays.

As an atheist in Oz there are NO "religious connotations" of anything in my life.

The only time I am reminded of religion is when I play in this playpen.

~

Baby poop. As far as I know, there is no religious connotation to baby poop.

Sorry, it's a good question; I just need my lunch.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.---Freud

...a Woman is Only a Woman but a Good Cigar is a Smoke---Kipling

Science. Religious people can try to taint it but when it comes down to it, science is secular and based on what can be seen and studied.

Nothing exists without God, but people can put Him out of their minds completely.

In turn, He doesn't not hear them.