(@zophu – Purple eh?)
I had a girlfriend some time back whose family were Norwegian. From what I can tell there was not one drop of religion or American Puritanism in them, but they were, by far, the nicest people/family I’ve ever met. A “real” nice. They were not following some nice-script on how to act, they responded to you. You responding to them, not some fish-eyed God person staying “in character”. (Not all Christians are that way, but I find the VERY serious ones are – to a person.)
So I agree with what is implied in the OP.
Religions should be relegated to human guidance, not otherworldly holy truth. (NOTW – Heaven’s Gate-esq type stuff.)
How you conduct yourself and treat others: valor, honesty, niceness, empathy, decency, integrity, camaraderie, bushido, personal responsibility, turning a cheek, humility, love, loving others, etc. etc. etc. are praxis that transcend and outdate all of the modern religious doctrine. Ancient praxis from which they drew upon.
It is said that the devil’s greatest trick was convincing people that God does not exist.
Well I say the Lord’s greatest trick was convincing people He was the only game in town – where common notions (like being “nice”) somehow became solely attributable to Him, as if these could not even be conceivable in a world without Him. Just silliness.