custard writes:
Part of being in a democracy is that you have to suffer the will of the majority. If the will of the majority creates laws based on religious beliefs - abortion restriction, controlled substances, tax exemptions for religious institutions, then I don't see how one can avoid the influence of religion.
Fortunately, democracies have laws in place to protect minorities from unjust rules by the majority. Democratic laws and institutions protect the freedoms and rights of
all individual citizens.