It does get confusing..................

     To build God's kingdom it is necessary to organize the state on broadly democratic principles and allow absolute freedom of speech, and considerable freedom of religion.  The whole point of government, Spinoza maintained, is liberty:  "the object of government is ... to enable [men] to develop their minds and bodies in security, and to employ their reason unshackled; neither showing hatred, anger, or deceit, nor watched with the eyes of jealousy and injustice."  The state authorities may interfere in religion - indeed, they must do so, since religion is too dangerous to be left in the hands of priests.  But state intervention is justified only for the purpose of ensuring that all rites, ceremonies and "outward observance of piety" are in accordance with "the public peace and well-being."  People's beliefs must be left an entirely private affair, and neither the priests nor churches (nor presumably synagogues,  mosques or temples) are to be given any legal powers.  Give priests power and they soon start persecuting anyone who disagrees with them.  The result is always strife, schism and sectarianism.

-Anthony Gottleib,  The Dream Of Enlightenment:  The Rise Of Modern Philosophy, as excerpted from the chapter, A Breeze of the Future:  Spinoza

If one were to wonder about the general secular nature of Europe today, one might google European wars of religion or the Inquisition.  Then throw in the two Great Wars.............