There are certainly differences, but I actually think it's the opposite -- the noise is on the surface, the core values are nearly identical, at least within western culture. That may be because Christianity dominated western ethical thought for roughly one thousand years (say, 600 to 1600) so that it permeates even secular thought today. Or it may be because the golden rule is pretty obvious and it takes a lot of fancy rationalization to get around. Or it may be because we all share biological-determined aims liking keeping our kids safe and our tribe in ascendancy that gave rise to faiths in the first place. In any case, although thinking about it is very interesting, that common ground will help us "just get along," compromising where possible (civil unions), drawing a line when something is simply too much to bear (resolving ties with shoot outs).