Religion formed one of the great divisions of human civilization. Belief in a transcendent existence or an unfathomable structure holding reality aloft provided a framework for humans to find meaning in their lives.
In fact, many of the other alien races that humanity contacted also exhibited beliefs.
The argument between believers and non-believers raged throughout the ages without any sign of consensus.
Fortunately, humanity's expansion in space lessened the pressure of conflict between the two sides. The galaxy was so big that everyone had a place to call their own. Older religions who could trace their origins from Old Earth ruled entire star sectors while newer religions traveled to the outskirts of human space and occupied an unclaimed star system.
In this way, secular states and religious states largely learned to live alongside each other. The rate of conflict between the two types of states wasn't any higher than usual.
