Thank you for the replies evryone, excellent posts.
I have to say that my Christian background gets the water a little cloudy, let me be specific. First MmatsDude, yes you're correct about the founding of the United States, but I think I was leaning more towards the Ten Commandments and the basic overall influence that Judaistic-Catholic-Christian ideals had on our nation from it's beginning, and still do today.
I feel as though much of our morality is 'helped out' by excerpts from the popular Christian bible, maybe that's just my perception? I would also bet that most US citizens you talk to would think that the bible plays at least some role in our laws and foundations, with the 'in god we trust' on all of our stuff.
To bring up some statistics to help me illustrate, I've read several places that Christians are still the vast majority of religious practicioners that make up the US, here is one source:
http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#religions. This in mind, most of these citizens get their moral fiber from A.) Church, B.) Their parents, and C.) Established laws.
I feel that our laws overlap in many areas to not just the Christian bible, but many religious texts with guidelines of virtue. Take that away, and where do you start? How do you get people to be moral, is maybe what I'm asking?
As for me, my morality is based on a religion, but I have had years to refine it to be secular, to be outside of any religious influence, to just be a decent human being. I manage to be the best person I can be from completely outside of any personal/spiritual motivations, yes that brings me some personal gratification, but that it a side-effect, not the goal. The goal is the nature of being a good man, hope that's not too basic?
So look at it from the point of view of any religion, being that the religion has large influences on the behavior and acceptable norms of its followers. Could you found an atheistic state with a majority of completely secular people, and establish a moral code? I mean, you obviously could, but I think somewhere along the line you would borrow from the past, from religion...